Paladin reports, “Cale from what I can gather it would appear that less than sixty percent of the station actually made it through the time stream and since then it would appear that what remains is mostly titanium steel and other common metals. While the exterior is still mostly ferrous anatanium magnetic alloy, what remains of the rest is less than ten percent of what was Skull. The current power source appears to be a make shift of portable generators that are powering up a scattered series of shield generators.”
Caleb still sitting in his command chair looks all about in disbelief at the condition of this once monstrous station as Paladin docks along the very same docking bay it once did over two thousand years before.
Rooke and several others race towards the ship, wearing space suits as Caleb notices this and asks, “Pal is there no life support?”
Paladin responds, “Negligible life support detected Cale. It would appear that only a few remaining chambers currently have life support, albeit barely able to support human life. Nevertheless, my scans are having difficulty in getting any clear readings within and around this structure.”
Caleb pauses as he considers Paladin lasts statement, asking, “Should we be concerned?”
Paladin responds. “Noskcaj captured and absorbed the X’ena main mothership from the previous time line and used its X’ena cloaking technology throughout the station making it extremely difficult for me to scan, although caution is prudent I see no immediate threat.”
Caleb sighs heavily as he stands up and says, “Pal expand our shields to surround the survivors and flood the area with a breathable atmosphere.”
Paladin quickly complies, expanding its shields all around the remains of the Skull station as it begins to flood the area with breathable air.”
Caleb slowly walks to the air lock, thinking about what would be if he had come earlier. After a few minutes pass, he reaches air lock to see Rooke and several others still wearing their space suits, waving at Caleb to open the air lock. Caleb opens the inner door and enters as Rooke unaware that Caleb has already flooded the air with oxygen becomes alarmed, yelling, “Caleb you’ll decompress!”
Caleb opens the outer door and smiles, saying, “Michael, you do know I’m a lot smarter than I look.” Caleb pauses as he steps out onto the dock and gazes around, continuing. “I had Paladin secure the station with its shields and fill the entire station with air, you can take off your suits.”
Rooke opens his visor as he breaths in and grins, stating, “Thank God you showed up when you did. I was running out of ideas to defend us.” Rooke extends his hand towards Caleb.
Caleb grabs Rookes arm and pulls him towards him, saying, “I missed you Michael.”
Rooke surprised at Caleb’s expression of emotion chuckles for a moment, stating, “Hey Cale I missed you too but it’s only been six months or so.”
Caleb grins as he steps back, responding, “Michael this may be a bit much to take in but although its been six months for you it’s been over two thousand years since I last saw you.”
Rooke steps back shocked at Caleb’s last statement as he asks, “Two thousand years?”
Paladin speaks from inside the com system behind Caleb, stating, “Michael, although for you it has only been six months we had to alter our course, which caused us to return almost five thousand years from once we left your time line.”
Caleb takes in a deep breath, looking out at the others all of whom are standing right behind Rooke, asking, “I’m guessing you trust these people enough to board my ship?”
Rooke looks back over the group behind him as he tries to come to terms with Caleb’s last statement, saying, “Well to be honest Caleb I don’t really know them all too well but they did find me after I was revived from stasis a few months ago and they have been fighting beside me ever since.”
Caleb focuses on Rooke’s last statement, asking, “Stasis?”
Rooke groans a little, saying aloud, “Well it’s kind of a long story.”
Caleb exhales as he looks over the crowd before him, stating, “Okay, well everyone get onboard and you might as well tell everyone else they can board as well.”
Rooke shakes his hand as he activates his com on his arm band, announcing, “All personal report to Paladin at once. Paladin has expanded his shields all around the station and filled it with breathable air.”
The group enters as Caleb steps away with Rooke and says, “Michael follow me up to the Bridge. Paladin make sure that our new guests are given quarters and assignments. We will need to discuss with everyone exactly what they know and figure out what our next course of action is.”
For the next hour, all three hundred and sixty-two survivors of Skull enter Paladin as Michael Rooke and Caleb convene on the Bridge.
Rooke looks over Paladin, noticing the massive amount of dust on the controls and becomes curious as to why so much dust has built up. He quickly redirects his attention to the holoscreen and watches the survivors enter the ship. Paladin displays all tactical information on each survivor. Rooke continues to stare at the holoscreen as he contemplates Caleb’s declaration in his mind and the condition of Paladin. Finally, he asks, “Two thousand years Caleb?”
Caleb walks back to his command chair and says, “Michael, no offense but let’s focus on the Demon Queen and Noskcaj.”
Rooke looks all around at Paladin and shakes his head in wonder, stating, “Well Caleb I really don’t know too much there. The last thing I remember about them was when I boarded the ship and shut down Skull’s shields to let you and the Celesta escape. I was immediately captured by Noskcaj’s goon squad. I was brought to their med bay and heard something about being in the time stream and then I was put to sleep. I really don’t remember much after that. The next thing I know I was woken a few months later from stasis and have been helping these survivors fend off these pirates ever since.”
Caleb exhales heavily as he sits down, pondering Rooke’s account. He then asks, “Pal what do your scans say about all our new guests.”
Paladin responds, Cale I’m detecting a lot of interference, making it extremely difficult to properly scan everyone but as of now I detect no immediate threats.”
Caleb asks Paladin telepathically, “What do you mean by interference?”
Paladin responds in kind, “Well Cale I’ve discovered several of the survivors have some kind of remnants of X’ena cloaking energy covering their bodies, which is of course making detailed scans difficult as it causes my sensors to blur their overall readings. Nevertheless, I detect no weapons or provoking movements from any of them and Cale, Michael is also covered in the remnants of X’ena cloaking energy, albeit very minimal.”
Caleb looks at Rooke and asks, “Michael any chance you were being used again as before?”
Rooke looks perplexed, answering, “If you mean was I under anyone’s control and doing the super X’ena thing, well I wouldn’t remember as you know all too well.”
Caleb asks bluntly, “Well Pal says you and several of the others are covered in residual X’ena energy, any ideas why?”
Rooke thinks to himself for a moment and replies, “Well we were tapping into every available power source we could find to keep the pirates at bay.”
Caleb then says to Paladin telepathically, “Pal keep a tight eye on these survivors, especially the ones covered in this X’ena cloaking energy. Noskcaj knows way too much about us to not have a way of hiding someone or something with these people.”
Caleb huffs as he asks, “Ok Michael tell me what you know about the Demon Queen and these ships.”
Rooke replies, “Well I never saw them Cale but what these survivors have told me is that the Demon Queen was badly hurt. Most of her body was seriously burnt and she had cybernetic legs attached to her, which I though was kinda of odd as any cellular regenerator could easily have resorted her legs and fixed her burns.”
Paladin interrupts, “Unless her body was transformed while merging with the Skull station, then her body would have
permanently suffered the same damage as the station. This would explain a lot Cale, including her inability to do battle with the symbiot shard.”
Rooke stops himself and asks, “Symbiot shard?”
Caleb grumbles, “Don’t worry about it Michael just continue with what you know please.”
Rooke, looking more confused continues, “Well whatever that means I don’t really know as I said I was in stasis, anyways the other survivors told me that the Demon Queen took over Noskcaj and then started building these massive Super Carriers out of the Skull station, eight of them overall. She eventually entered one of them and the moment she did this station transformed back into what you see here now and that ship she entered grew about three times it size. They all left about six months back.”
Paladin speaks to Caleb telepathically, “Cale if the Demon Queen was still in control of Skull while building these ships her pain would be excruciating. It would be the like a human being fully awake while undergoing surgery.”
Caleb responds in kind, stating, “Well maybe she found a way to minimize the pain or she was able to pull herself out of parts of Skull.””
Caleb gets up and looks at the survivors as they quickly enter the docking bay, racing on to his ship. He studies them for several seconds before turning to Rooke and saying, “Michael I have to find these ships and destroy them before they find a way back to our galaxy.”
Rooke becoming confused again asks, “Our galaxy? Just how far away are we?”
Paladin responds, “At our top speed it will take us over four hundred years to return.”
Rooke stumbles backwards as he asks, “Cale please tell me you have a faster way back home?”
Caleb smirks, stating, “Come on Michael, getting home is the least of our worries. We need to find these ships first before they get to far ahead. Don’t worry about getting home Michael you know I’ll figure that out later.”
Caleb turns back to his command chair and says aloud, “Pal I want you to interview everyone onboard and see what you can piece together about what happened here. Michael, I want you to take the helm and prepare us for immediate launch. Once we are cleared of Skull I want you to launch one of our anti-matter nukes at her. I don’t want these marauders getting any more of this future tech.”
Paladin telepathically speaks to Caleb, saying, “Cale I know what you are thinking as we share in each other’s thoughts but I do not believe he is here.”
Caleb, remaining focused responds telepathically, “If anyone knows how to hide himself from you it would be Noskcaj.”
Paladin perplexed by Caleb’s thinking asks, “Cale you never cease to amaze me in how you look through the countless amounts of data I possess and fixate on just one detail above all the rest. In the thousands of years that we have shared in each other’s mind you have constantly been able to do this as you only skim through what knowledge I have to bring. You are obviously aware of the synthetic life form that Noskcaj was constructing back in the altered time line and have focused your thoughts on this possibility but what you are not aware of is the fact that Noskcaj could not transfer his entire conscious into this vessel. Even if Noskcaj did indeed finish creating this synthetic android it would be lacking a great deal of his intellect.”
Caleb turns away and sits down in his command chair, watching as the last of the survivors enters Paladin. He says aloud, “Michael take us out.”
Paladin clears the docking bay and exits the derelict space station once known as Skull.
Rooke announces, “I have a weapons lock on the station, just waiting till we are clear of the blast zone.”
Paladin reports to Caleb, “Cale I have begun my interview of the survivors and have discovered several of them have direct relations to many of those we took with us when we escaped, including the mother of Edgar.”
Caleb’s eyes go wide as he shrugs his shoulders and adjust himself in his seat, wiping his hands across his face he asks, “I’m hoping the apple fell far from the tree with this family?”
Paladin responds, “Sorry Cale but she’s is very much like her son.”
Rooke, who is more focused on the large covering of dust on the weapons targeting system asks, “I’m guessing her son was a bit of a handful?”
Caleb exhales as he replies, “Let’s just say if I had it to do over again I would’ve preferred to have left him behind.”
Rooke gets a signal that they are out of the blast radius and immediately fires, announcing, “Launching torpedo.”
The torpedo is specially made with some of the most advanced technology of its time, possessing anti-matter compounds never conceived in this time line and mixed with the most volatile nuclear star energy. These torpedoes where designed in secrete by the Black guard of Avalon and created in such a manner that they could never be reproduced again.
The torpedo streaks across space, striking the derelict station Skull. The Station explodes in a massive flash of pure energy, which swiftly envelopes it and just as quickly dissipating and what was once the most feared creation of a by gone time is no more.”
Rooke looks up stunned, asking, “Damn Caleb that was downright scary, just how many of these beauties do you have?”
Paladin begins to speak, “Currently we have sixty fo…”
Caleb interrupts, stating, “More than enough to get the job done Michael.”
Rooke looks towards Caleb in confusion as he states, “Caleb that’s a little disconcerting. If you have doubts of my allegiance to you than you can do that lay on hands thing like before to know you can trust me.”
Caleb gets up and walks towards Rooke, saying, “I don’t have any doubts about you Michael it’s just who else might be listening.”
Rooke looks even more perplexed as he looks across the bridge, seeing no one else he asks, “Caleb you sense something because I don’t see anyone else?”
Paladin responds, “There is a possibility however remote that Noskcaj may have some type of infiltration device mixed in with these survivors. Noskcaj is more than capable of masking his presence from me.”
Caleb looks directly at Rooke, saying, “I have always trusted in you Michael but there is a lot going on that doesn’t make sense and I need to get answers.”
Paladin reports, “Cale I have interviewed over seventy-four survivors and amassed a great deal of information, shall I just download it to you or share it openly with Michael.”
Caleb, still staring at Rooke answers, “Go ahead Pal, I doubt this information is too sensitive.”
Paladin begins, “Currently Cale it would appear that over twenty-eight thousand survivors are currently on board those ships with over thousand modified fighters. They’re heading to our galaxy as expected. The Demon Queen was severely injured and her body was altered using most of Noskcaj synthetic technology. This could explain her tolerance to the pain of building those ships while still connected to Skull. I have also discovered that they were in search of worm holes in hopes of accelerating they’re return.”
Caleb grimaces as he asks, “Why would Noskcaj openly help the Demon Queen?”
Suddenly and unexpectedly a cloaked figure appears directly next to Rooke with a weapon pointed at his head. The cloaked figure speaks, “Perhaps a conversation we could have if an amiable truce can be made or if you prefer I can splatter Michael’s brains across the Bridge and go back into hiding.”
Caleb studies the figure closely as he considers his options. Finally, he says, “You know I have already placed a scattering field around the Bridge so your escape by shifting is gone and I really doubt you’ll be able to be able to shoot Michael before I can stop you.”
The figure pulls back his cloak revealing a shiny chromed human like form, saying, “This body was built using the most advanced technology my Father had at the time. He spent over a thousand years developing its programing and has removed all contaminated human emotions from it, including those memories damaged by the Meli. I could be your ally Caleb or you can test your theory that
you are faster than a machine with light speed reflexes.”
Rooke, remaining motionless as he stares down the barrel of a plasma pistol states, “Caleb perhaps we could at least hear him out first. I kinda like having my head attached.”
Caleb stares ominously at the Synthetic being as he considers his possibilities. Vying for time he asks, “Considering who you are and your past deeds are you truly expecting a pass for all the death and destruction you caused?”
The Synthetic being keeps his focus on Rooke as he replies, “I am and I am not the Noskcaj you knew Caleb. It is true that I was created by the version you came to know in the alternate time line and so we share most of the same memories I am nonetheless my own being with my own purpose. The Noskcaj you came to know created me to ensure our mutual survival and in creating me he removed much of what motivated his passion and rage, which was amplified by the Meli’s manipulation. When the Meli forced its symbiot to absorb the original Noskcaj it released me to ensure our continued survival. The Noskcaj you knew no longer exists Caleb Ocoda.”
Caleb, still seeking any opportunity to strike asks Paladin telepathically, “Pal any chance you can hit this thing with a force shield?
Paladin responds in kind, “I have already considered that line of action and the risk is extremely high that I would fail. The cloaking energy that partially masks Michael also covers this synthetic being thus making it extremely difficult to separate them at such a close distance. Cale this synthetic being is virtually unable to be properly scanned by me, nonetheless I am sensing a massive amount of energy from within it.”
The Synthetic being then says, “I’m sure Paladin has already informed you of the futility in trying to stop me so why don’t we have a truce and discuss our options.”
Caleb scowls as he spits out in anger, “You are still part of a creature that tortured and killed millions of beings. I have no interest in letting that go.”
Enemy Myself Page 10