The Key of Astrea

by Nicholas Marson

  “The final Waypoint is active,” Nimue said out loud. She turned and made her way back through the cave complex. Her feet fell in a steady rhythm as she splashed across the water-covered floor of the large cavern. Overhead, the ceiling glowed with an ominous red light.

  “Are you close to the surface?” Rygelus asked through some link they had to the virosuit.

  “I am—”

  “Hurry,” Rygelus said as if he hadn’t heard her, “we are detecting seismic activity in the area.”

  Nimue was halfway across the cavern when a loud boom caused her to stumble. She skidded to a stop in a spray of water. A loud ringing sounded over her communicator.

  “Dad…Dad!”

  “A volcanic eruption,” Rygelus said. “Engine malfunc—”

  The cavern disappeared and Jenny woke up on Nimue’s bed in her cabin. Her hand was wrapped around the Riftkey.

  Where am I? Jenny thought. A loudspeaker blared somewhere, and flames of purple, yellow, and green licked at the walls. I am back on the Tricaster. She couldn’t tell if she was hot or cold. She screamed in agony as orange flames consumed the bed. Her vision failed as her eyes exploded and the skin peeled off of her muscles. There was so much pain, and then everything went black. She expected oblivion to follow death, but she was surprised by what came next.

  The pain was gone, and Jenny was floating in an ocean. Above her was an endless black sky filled with stars. Suddenly, an enormous, black tidal wave thundered toward her. She raised her arms to cover her face, but the wave was so vast, so impressive, that there was no possible escape. All she could do was admire the immensity and awesome power of it. She put her arms down and accepted oblivion.

  35

  Tricaster

  “Jenny?” Adriana’s voice was small and distant. “Jenny, can you hear me? Please wake up.”

  Jenny struggled at the surface of an immense ocean. A storm raged overhead. Thunder boomed from every direction, and her body spasmed with each lightning strike. She swam toward the sound of her sister’s voice. A bolt of lightning struck the water near her.

  Jenny’s eyes shot open. Nearby, a giant sculpture of a worm stretched from floor to ceiling. In its coils was the shining form of the virosuit, Cobol’s body. Deedleoh, the witch doctor, was shouting at the audience, trying to pull their attention back to him. Heather had collapsed to the ground and appeared to be crying.

  “You’re awake.” Adriana squeezed her hand. “I was so worried.”

  Jenny’s mind buzzed with new knowledge. Lance LaGrange, the CEO of Cabin, was an ancient alien. He had come here with Rygelus and Nimue to install the Waypoints. And somehow, I used the virosuit as my body. Jenny got to her feet, still clutching the Riftkey.

  The Alfur lurched backward. Heather sat up and looked at Jenny. A smile spread across his face. “Jenny alright.” Deedleoh stopped shouting at the auditorium and turned to look at Jenny.

  “Your nose,” Adriana said.

  Jenny touched her nose and found that it was bloody. Not only that, but her ears had bled too. “What happened?”

  “You had a seizure,” Rygelus said.

  “For how long?”

  “Almost a minute,” Adriana said as she took Jenny’s hand and helped her stand up.

  “It felt like hours,” Jenny said. As she looked at Rygelus, she remembered how he had held her after waking from cryosleep. “I had a vision that I was your daughter, Nimue. I know now what I have to do.” She took a step toward the virosuit.

  Adriana took Jenny’s free hand. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Jenny squeezed her sister’s hand and pulled away. She looked at Rygelus. “When I touch this, your daughter will be released from her half existence.”

  Rygelus’s thick eyebrows flew up. “She is here, right now, is she not?” he asked. Jenny nodded. Rygelus looked away as tears gathered in the corners of his eyes. His chin quivered, but he gritted his teeth to hide it. After a moment, he turned his reddened eyes toward Jenny and nodded. “I am ready.”

  Jenny nodded back, then turned toward the virosuit. She looked at its polygonal facsimile of a human face and remembered it speaking to her. Jenny slammed her hand onto its chest. Every nerve in her body exploded. There was a collective gasp as the ghost of Nimue materialized for everyone to see.

  “I can see her.” Rygelus’s voice quivered as he stepped up to his daughter. “After all these years, I can finally see her.”

  “Father,” Nimue said as she smiled.

  “Nimue. I have so much I want to tell you.”

  Nimue held up a finger to silence her father. “I already know. I’ve been with you all these years. Now, all I ask is that you finish the mission, then find my mother.”

  “I will.” Rygelus wiped at his eyes. “I promise.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, always.” Rygelus reached out and embraced Nimue.

  “Goodbye, Father.”

  Rygelus’s body shook. “Goodbye, my daughter.”

  As Nimue began to fade away, she turned to face Jenny. “Thank you for freeing me.”

  Rygelus stumbled forward as Nimue disappeared. For a while, he stared at his empty arms.

  Brock pulled Rygelus into his massive chest.

  Now, what do I do? Jenny asked Cobol.

  You must place the Riftkey on the Virosuit’s back.

  Jenny remembered that Nimue did something similar in her vision. But to gain access to the Virosuit’s back, I’ll have to roll it over. The Alfur aren’t going to like this, Jenny thought as she wedged herself between the virosuit and the statue that held it. The Alfur guards rushed forward with their spears pointed at her, but her friends moved to intercept them.

  “What are you doing?” Kensei asked as he dodged a spear thrust.

  “I’ve got to roll the suit over.”

  “Do what you have to do,” Mazu said. “We’ll protect you.”

  Jenny put her back against the virosuit, and her feet on the statue. She bent her knees and shoved hard. Slowly, the heavy virosuit slid and toppled from its perch and hit the ground with a thud. Jenny followed the virosuit down to the ground and swung the Riftkey in a wide arc to keep the guards away. The virosuit lay on its side with its back exposed. She saw a groove there, just the right size for the Riftkey. She lined the key up, and like a magnet, it snapped into position. The hilt of the Riftkey extended up from the virosuit’s back, but the seam where the two met was almost invisible. Blue light glowed under the virosuit’s silvery skin.

  Cobol jumped to his feet. “I feel better!” he said with a spin-jump that shook the amphitheater enough to shower dust from the ceiling. The Alfur shrieked in surprise. Some wept, while others laughed or shouted. Deedleoh struggled to gain their attention. Cobol looked out toward the auditorium. “Hello, everyone.” The polygonal facsimile of a human face mimicked speech. “I am Cobol.”

  The Alfur stopped shouting and crying. Their mouths hung open, and their eyes went wide. A few of them even ran out of the temple.

  “Nice to meet you, Cobol. I’m Kensei.”

  “And I’m Adriana.”

  “I know,” Cobol said. “I met you both at the treehouse when Jenny revealed me to you.” The android looked at Mazu. “I have not met you, but you seem familiar.”

  “I’m Mazu. You may have known my…mother, Lin.”

  “Yes, I also met Lin at the treehouse.”

  “I’m Brock.”

  “And you already know me,” Rygelus said.

  “Ah yes, Rygelus. I am pleased to see you once again.” Cobol turned to face Jack next.

  “I’m Jack, and now that introductions are out of the way, I suggest we get out of here before the Alfur trap us, look.” Jack pointed toward the exit.

  They all turned toward the exit. Deedleoh rattled his staff and five Alfur guards, armed with their obsidian-tipped poison spears, moved to block the way. Another guard held Heather’s arms behind his back. The witch doctor spoke excited
ly.

  “I don’t want to hurt them,” Jack said, “but I will if I have to.”

  “What’s going on?” Jenny asked. “What’s he saying?”

  “Humans must leave.” Heather struggled against the guard’s grip. He looked up at the pictographs carved into the walls of the temple. “God must stay. God teach Alfur.”

  Cobol nodded at the witch doctor. Without turning, he spoke to Jenny and the others. “Go now. I will join you once you are free of the temple.”

  Jenny and the others nodded. The Alfur guards allowed them to leave the temple without incident. Each step they took through the water stirred up some bioluminescent algae.

  “What do we do about Cobol?” Kensei asked. “Don’t we need him to unlock the Terminal?”

  “We have to trust that he knows what he’s doing,” Jenny said.

  “And what about Heather?” Adriana asked.

  “It’s not like we can take him to outer space,” Jack said. “Unless he has his own spacesuit.”

  Once they were about halfway across the cavern, a ruckus sounded from the pyramid. Looking back, Jenny saw Cobol charging out of the temple. A second later, the five spear-wielding guards exploded from the exit and ran after him. The witch doctor emerged a moment later.

  “Run!” Cobol yelled.

  Water splashed underfoot as Jenny and the others raced across the cavern. They paused at the exit just long enough to retrieve their bags and weapons. The air whistled, and spears cracked against the wall. They ran up the tunnel, ducked under stalactites, dodged stalagmites, and scraped themselves on the coarse rock. After a few minutes, they came to a stop.

  “It seems like they gave up,” Brock said.

  “Good,” Jack panted. “I need a rest.” He took a seat on a nearby pile of rocks. Above them, water trickled down the wall and joined up with a larger stream of water running down the side of the cave.

  “But why?” Adriana looked at Cobol. “We stole their god.”

  “Don’t worry,” Kensei said. “I bet they’ll be telling the story of his resurrection for generations.”

  “I do feel bad for Heather though,” Jenny said.

  “Yeah, poor Heather,” Adriana said.

  “Why, it’s not his fault?” Kensei said. “They may even consider him a saint, or something.”

  “Yeah,” Jenny said. “I guess you’re right.”

  Mazu stepped up to Brock. “Do you have extra weapons? We may encounter Risi on our return to the Waypoint.”

  “You’re in luck.” Brock put a huge hand on Mazu’s shoulder. “Kensei is our traveling armory.”

  “Here.” Kensei slipped the backpack off his shoulder and handed it to Mazu. He stumbled and leaned against the stone wall for support.

  “Thanks.” Mazu easily lifted the heavy pack and sorted through the firearms. She pulled out a semiautomatic assault rifle and then handed the bag to Jack.

  “Now,” Cobol said. “Jenny and I must unlock the Terminal.”

  “We can’t,” Jenny said.

  “Why not?”

  “It’s too late.”

  “Victus has another Riftkey,” Kensei added, “and he’s already on his way to unlock it.”

  “Does Victus know about your Riftkey?” Jack asked.

  “No, do you think I would still have it if he did?”

  “What’s your point, Jack?” Mazu asked.

  “My point is that a ship like the Tamarack needs a lot of supplies.”

  “So?” Adriana asked.

  “So, Victus has the Riftkey and the Selkans.”

  “Thanks for the reminder,” Jenny said.

  “He believes that he’s won,” Jack continued. “He won’t be in any hurry to leave the system. He’ll take his time and allow the Tamarack resupply. He might even allow shore leave. Which means—”

  Adriana clapped her hands. “We can get to the Terminal first!”

  Jack nodded.

  “How long will it take to get there?” Jenny asked.

  “Well, it took six hours to walk here from the Waypoint,” Kensei said. “And the flight from the Endeavor to Acacia City took three, not to mention the drive…”

  “You forgot the most important detail,” Adriana said. “The Terminal is in outer space.”

  “We can take my ship,” Jack said.

  “That’s great,” Kensei said. “Thanks, Jack.”

  Jenny the others stopped at the intersection in the cave.

  Jack turned to the group and asked, “Now, which way do we go?”

  Kensei pointed to the side passage. “That’s the way we came in.”

  “And where does this path go?” Jack pointed further up their tunnel.

  Kensei shrugged. “Heather said it was another way out of the cave.”

  “Watch out,” Brock said. Something whistled through the air, and Brock yanked Jenny backward. An arrow the size of a javelin punched through his leg just above the knee. Brock dropped to the ground and rolled against the wall.

  More large arrows buzzed out of the darkness and cracked against the rock. Jenny scrambled for cover. She drew her firearm with a trembling hand and took a deep breath as adrenaline coursed through her body.

  Together, Rygelus and Adriana dragged Brock away from the side passage. The big man grabbed the arrow and snapped the thumb-thick shaft. Brock was about to pull out the head when Adriana put her hand over the wound.

  “Leave it,” Adriana said. “It may be preventing blood loss.” She tore a strip of cloth from her shirt uniform and tied it around the wound. The makeshift bandage instantly turned red with blood. “You’ll need to stay off your leg.”

  Brock grunted in reply.

  A deep roar sounded from the side passage. With shaky hands, Jenny aimed the beam of her flashlight up the tunnel. Light glinted off the weapons and armor of a group of Risi. An arrow exploded against Cobol’s chest as the android ran to meet the enemy. The glow from his veins lit the Risi’s faces in cold blue light.

  Cobol fought like someone who had missed out on a thousand years of brawling. One iron sword shattered against his shoulder. He punched another giant in the chest, knocking him backward. The android was much smaller than the Risi but proved to be equal in power. Yet there was only one of him, and more giants surged forward, pushing him back and running around him.

  Jenny’s ears rang as she, and everyone else fired at the incoming Risi. Her injured shoulder ached, but she pulled the trigger as fast as she could into the mass of giants. The air was filled with the sounds of gunfire and shouting. Her nose burned from acrid gun smoke. When her weapon clicked empty, Jenny picked up more ammo from a pile between her and Adriana and slammed the clip into place. She grew numb to the sound of gunfire as if she was acclimating to a hot bath. On the other side of the intersection, Jack, Mazu, and Kensei still defended their position. “Aren’t you glad you came with us, Kensei?” Jenny called out.

  “There’s nowhere I’d rather be,” he called back.

  “Less talking.” Rygelus dropped his gun and set an arrow to his bow. “More fighting.” There was a twang, and an arrow sprouted from a giant’s eye socket, causing it to trip and land face-first on a stalagmite.

  Another giant fell and slid to a stop just centimeters away from Jenny’s face. Its body twitched from the throes of a death spasm. Her gun clicked empty just as another Risi charged at her. She ejected the clip and clambered at her side for another one. She looked up just as the Risi swung a crude, hooked sword at her head. Jenny pushed backward and held up her arms to block the attack. At that instant, something released inside her mind. Her consciousness erupted from her body and entered the giant.

  Images of hunting and fighting flashed like a movie in her mind, and to her surprise, impressions of family and love as well. No, I can’t get distracted by memories, as I did with Sadi; we’re in a fight for our lives. It’s them or us.

  Through force of will, Jenny conquered the Risi’s mind and possessed its body. Her sense of taste and smell
were heightened, which was more like a curse, as the giant suffered from severe body odor and halitosis. Jenny turned and charged toward the other giants. She swung her hooked sword downward. The blade sank deep into a giant’s shoulder. The injured Risi looked shocked and betrayed. Jenny yanked her sword free and slashed again, driving the confused giant to the ground. She fought a wave of nausea from the gore of it and looked for her next opponent. The sight of two glowing eyes set in a face the color of asphalt froze her in place.

  “I recognize you,” Blunderbore’s voice was like a landslide. “You are the same humans from the city we attacked.” He stepped into the light. He wore only a loincloth, exposing a body that seemed sculpted from obsidian. The bright-orange mane of his hair ran from his head to his waist. Two daggers the size of rapiers hung from a leather belt. “Father didn’t want you killed that time, but he is not here now.”

  “Not this guy again,” Jack said.

  “And you are without your weapon.”

  The remaining Risi stepped back as Blunderbore flourished his flamberge, a gigantic, wavy sword.

  Cobol stepped up to Blunderbore. “I will not allow you to kill them.”

  “My first challenger.” Blunderbore flexed and grinned. “You think you can stop me?” The cave quaked as he charged toward Cobol.

  Jenny’s skin quivered as Cobol hit the ground hard.

  Blunderbore put a foot on the prone android and looked around the cave. “Who is next to die?”

  Still in control of the other Risi, Jenny charged Blunderbore. She barely caught sight of the flamberge before she snapped back to her own body. She sat up and rubbed her neck. “That hurts.”

  Suddenly, Jenny felt light-headed, and her vision narrowed to a tunnel. “Not again.” It seems like the side-effect of my ability is passing out, Jenny thought. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Cobol twisting Blunderbore’s foot, and the dark giant crashing to the ground.

  Jenny woke in time to see Blunderbore throw Cobol into the wall. The android hit with a loud crack. Stone and dust rained down on his silver skin.

  “Is that the best you have?” Blunderbore spun his flamberge around his dark body. “I hoped for better sport.”