Enemy Myself

by Daniel OConnell

  Syn pauses for a moment, answering, “The size increase will not be that significant Caleb to cause much if any noticeable difference within Paladins normal day to day operations as you possess the power to augment your own power core. Nevertheless, you could be slowed to every five hours instead of the current three hours as you have recently become accustomed too, which is still far better than the eight hours you previously dealt with.”

  Caleb stares back at Syn, trying to understand what he is saying about augmenting the power core.

  Paladin announces “We are in position to shift in front of the carriers. Currently all nine of the mines are ready to be deployed.”

  Caleb looks over to Rooke and orders, “Ok Michael place us in front of the last two in their formation. Syn, make yourself ready.”

  Syn doesn’t even turn towards Caleb as he prepares his to shift. Rooke shakes his head, acknowledging Caleb’s order as he hastily shifts Paladin, which remains cloaked directly in the path of the last two Super Carriers. Paladin drops the nine mines while Rooke maneuvers Paladin out of the way. The first Super Carrier hits a mine, dropping out of hyperspace. The other Super Carrier which was close behind also drops from hyper space and instantly scans the area, launching its fighters. The remaining five Super Carriers continue onward.

  Paladin announces, “The first Super Carrier had minimal damage. The second Super Carrier fighters are destroying the remaining mines. We will have only minutes to act.”

  Caleb looks over at Syn who finally turns to Caleb and shakes his head, shifting directly out into space. Syn shifts out into space next to the damaged carrier. His synthetic body does not require oxygen as he is able to place his bare hands against the shield of the damaged carrier, bypassing it’s shields and successfully shifting directly into the Super Carrier.

  Rooke looks up towards Caleb, clearing his throat he asks, “You sure we can trust him Caleb?”

  Caleb bites his bottom lip, answering, “I hope so Michael. I really hope so.”

  A few minutes pass when Paladin announces, “Cale I’m detecting an overload in the Super Carrier’s power core. They are evacuating the vessel to the other carrier. I’m detecting multiple shifts. The power core will overload in thirty seconds and it cannot be stopped.”

  Rooke readies the shift drive, stating, “Caleb we can shift on your command.”

  Paladin suddenly announces, “The other Super Carrier is leaving the area.”

  Caleb clenches the arm rests of his command chair, waiting as the clock counts down to the very last seconds. The Super Carrier suddenly explodes as the shockwave expands outward rapidly, heading directly to the cloaked and unshielded Paladin. With only a second left he stands, yelling, “Shift!”

  The Super Carrier’s shockwave reaches Paladin just as the massive ship shifts but at that exact moment Syn shifts directly onto the Bridge as Paladin shifts just beyond the shockwave.

  Caleb looks at Syn suspiciously, stating, “Cutting that a bit close.”

  Syn replies, ““I’m surprised you waited for me Caleb. I would have expected that you would have left me for dead. You have changed a lot in the years that have gone by.”

  Caleb frowns as he stares at Syn, asking, “What happened to the original plan?”

  Syn looks to Caleb, stating, “They had automated assault sentries at key areas on the ship. I had to improvise quickly as they were getting ready to jump back into hyperspace.”

  Caleb confused asks, “What the hell is an automated assault sentry?”

  Syn replies, “It is an attack robot with the most advanced targeting system ever created by my Father. The targeting system can detect all known frequencies of cloaking energy.”

  Caleb looks over the data, studying the debris field. He turns to Syn and asks, “Okay, if they were protecting key areas then how did you get the power core to overload?”

  Syn smiles briefly, answering, “The initial explosion caused by the mine left the energy collector control room in the bow of the carrier exposed to space and unguarded so I took advantage and used the control panel to force a large amount of energy to flood back into the power core from as many different areas of the ship as I could. By doing this it will help in masking our presences as it will look to be a computer error caused by the damage when they stuck the mine.”

  Paladin says to Caleb telepathically, “Cale I can sense your doubt in Syn’s story but I did detect a massive energy buildup in the power core that lead to the overload. I do not know if he is being completely honest but he was able to succeed in his mission with minimal loss of life. Perhaps we may trust him”

  Caleb stares at Syn for almost a minute, finally stating, “Okay Syn so what’s our next move.”

  Syn looks out over the debris field and says, “We will need to wait at least a few days to start collecting the debris and start to bundle it together. Once we have enough Fama we will need to blast it back into its pure energy form and then I will emit an energy pulse from your shield emitters that will reset the energy into its base program mode. Once that happens we will fly Paladin directly into the energy field where it will bond with Paladin’s Fama, thus increasing the overall mass of the ship.”

  Paladin immediately sees a flaw in Syn’s plan, stating, “Syn, the energy will not simply bond with this vessel.”

  Syn looks to Caleb and shakes his head, grinning. Syn replies, “This vessel’s Fama is permanently connected to the bond you and Caleb hold together, if we sever that bond long enough this ship will quickly begin to revert to its original energy form and the rest of the Fama will than bond to that energy.”

  Caleb’s eyes go wide as he stands up, saying, “Are you insane! The only way that happens is if I die.”

  Syn smirks, stating, “You only need to be dead for a few minutes. Once the Fama here begins to break down the rest of the Fama from the carrier will instantly bond with the Fama on Paladin. Caleb, I know everything there is to know about Fama.”

  Paladin hastily speaks to Caleb once more telepathically, “Cale I take back what I said earlier about trusting him.”

  Caleb sits back down, thinking for a moment. He looks up at Syn and asks, “Okay Syn, let’s say I agree to this part of your crazy plan for the moment, do you know how to revive me once I die?”

  Syn replies coldly, “I have no intention on floating out here in the middle of space Caleb. My Father had complete files on the X’ena one-hundred and fifty-two program and detailed files on how to terminate you. I can create and send a pulse of energy directly into your body that will temporarily disrupt the bonds of X’ena energy within every cell of your body. This will instantly kill you and after a few minutes the ship will begin to transform. It will take me exactly forty-seven seconds to send another energy pulse to revive Paladin who will immediately restore your cells and then absorb the energy around the ship.”

  Paladin becomes alarmed even more so, stating, “You are basically rebooting my programming. Cale there is a definite possibility that all that I know and have learned could be lost.”

  Syn huffs, stating, “Caleb the probability of that is minimal of ever happening. Paladin all that you are and have ever been is within Caleb. Even if you do lose some of your memory you will be able to recover them from Caleb.”

  Rooke stands up and walks next to Syn, asking, “Is this risk really needed? We don’t even know how much bigger this ship will be or if it will even help us. Hell Caleb, with those torpedoes you have we could decimate them.”

  Syn turns to Rooke, stating, “A limited supply of torpedoes that must get through a defense screen of hundreds of fighters and thousands of light plasma cannons. A tall order to hope on.”

  Caleb sighs heavily as he places his hands across his face, stating, “Very well Syn we will try this. Michael, I agree that the risk may not be worth the reward here but it’s a risk I need to take. Any advantage I can get, I need.”

  For several days, the crew of Paladin gather as much of the Super Carrier’s wreckage,
pilling it all together as tightly as they can. Finally, Paladin reports, “The Super Carriers should be unable to detect us on short range scanners. We may however temporarily show up on their long-range scanners but if Syn is successful in his plan we will only appear for three minutes and we should look more like marauder vessel than us.”

  Caleb stands up from his command chair as he approaches Syn. Most of the crew are in space suits or in sealed life pods just in case Syn’s plan fails. Caleb looks out at the debris and yells, “Fire!”

  Suddenly all of Paladins weapons fire as forty high yield torpedoes fire and every plasma cannon, Heavy, Medium and Light strike the debris field completely vaporizing it. Syn looks to Caleb and says, “Bring us into the energy field and I will send out the energy pulse to reprogram the Fama.”

  Caleb looks to Rooke and shakes his head as Rooke turns Paladin directly into the field.

  Syn activates his program through the shield emitters as the mighty Paladin uncloaks and the energy field spreads out across the area, encompassing all the debris from the Super Carrier it can.

  Syn immediately turns to Caleb as he builds up an energy charge in his right hand, placing it directly onto Caleb’s chest, saying, “My Father would take great pride in this moment if he had lived. I however feel no joy in this. This is but a necessary part of my plan for my own survival.”

  Caleb looks Syn directly in the eyes and says, “Just do it.”

  Syn releases a massive charge that disrupts all of Caleb’s cells, killing him. Caleb collapses on the deck.

  Rooke immediately gets up from the helm and closes his helmet as he hastily approaches Syn, asking, “How long until you can revive him?”

  Syn replies, “We have to wait for the ship to start to transform first. If I revive him to soon this will all be for naught.”

  For five very long agonizing minutes nothing happens and then suddenly the ship begins to convert into a massive ball of blue energy. Syn instantly places his hand back on Caleb’s chest and sends in another pulse. After a few seconds, he becomes alarmed, stating aloud, “No, it should have worked.”

  Rooke pulls out his plasma gun and points it at Syn, stating, “You better get it to work or so help me if it’s the last thing I do I will blast a hole on your head so bi…”

  Syn yells in anger, “Will you please shut up! Just give me a moment to think.” Syn tries once more as he floods Caleb’s entire body in the energy pulse.”

  Rooke looks on as Syn tries a third time and a fourth time but nothing happens as the ship rapidly begins to convert back into the U.S.S Massachusetts.

  Syn looks up in panic as he can’t understand what he did wrong.

  Suddenly a bright blue light rises from Caleb’s body and envelopes the entire ship. Within seconds the ship stops transforming back into the U.S.S Massachusetts and instead transforms back into Paladin, albeit far larger than before.

  Paladin speaks first, “My memories are intact Syn, your constant energy pulses were unnecessary as it took a few minutes to reset my programing. The ship has grown in mass to over four hundred and sixty meters in length its width to one-hundred and fifty meters and its overall height is equally grown as we now tower a one-hundred and twenty meters. All our weapons have equally increased in mass. Our Medium cannons now rival what our Heavy cannons once were and our Heavy cannons size is thirty percent larger. Nonetheless, the size will not change the amount of power this vessel currently produces to power those weapons.”

  Syn smirks, stating, “A temporary adjustment Paladin. Nevertheless, if needed you can better handle the increase power created by the Phace’mal. For now, I need to begin working on the magnetic pylons in the power core reactor, if everything went as planned the primary and secondary conduits should have also increased in size as well as the strength to handle the power increase.”

  Paladin concerned at Syn’s statement asks, “The power core is operating at peak efficiency and is controlled by Caleb. He may not be capable of creating more power.”

  Syn huffs, saying, “We both know that unless Caleb grows his power than he will be forced to use the Phace’mal, an option he is not going to allow for long.”

  Paladin responds, “Caleb has for centuries maintained the power as it has always been. He may not understand how to expand the power core.”

  Syn huffs as he walks away, stating, “Then in all this time Caleb still does not know his own potential.” Syn leaves the Bridge.

  A minute later, Caleb begins to wake as he shakes his head in confusion, asking, “Well I’m alive so I’m guessing Syn’s plan worked?”

  Rooke, who is knelling next to Caleb replies, “Well, we’re bigger but Paladin and Syn seem to disagree on its advantages.”

  Caleb stands up weakly as Rooke helps him. Caleb walks over to the main view port overlooking the main guns and his eyes go wide, saying aloud, “Wow.”

  Paladin reports, “Cale the increased size is meaningless as we do not have enough power to utilize them to their full extent. They can handle minimal power increases from the Phace’mal, providing they do not send to much energy all at once.”

  Caleb huffs loudly as he looks around for Syn. Paladin, knowing what Caleb is thinking tells him telepathically, “He is just entering the engine room Caleb.”

  Caleb storms off the Bridge and down to the engine room. After a few minutes he enters, seeing Syn moving all around the main power core magnetic containment pylons. He asks, “Ok Syn care to explain what I just risked my life for?”

  Syn appears confused as he looks up to Caleb and asks, “Why have you always restricted yourself?”

  Caleb now confused shakes his head, repeating Syn’s question, “Restricting?”

  Syn looks to Caleb in disbelief, stating, “You possess far less energy than your daughter, which is a side effect of bonding with Paladin at such an old age. Nevertheless, you, just as she can increase the ships power output by concentrating on it. The Demon Queen must personally merge with the ship to take full effect of that ability but you are always connected to this ship. I had always thought you restricted your power as the size of your ship made it unnecessary. Now I see that you really are unaware of your full potential. I have already told you that I possess the complete files on the X’ena one-hundred and fifty-two program and it is exactly as powerful if not more powerful than its offspring Ronin.”

  Caleb asks aloud. “Pal do you know what this tin man is spouting all about?”

  Paladin responds, “Cale what Syn is stating is a viable hypothesis on our ability. As when we first merged with this ship I only had enough energy to transform the Battleship U.S.S. Massachusetts into what it was and then measured your energy output to match what we needed. Even after we were modified at X’enablanca you still created just enough energy to power the ship to its full capacity. Nevertheless, Syn is correct, you are able to generate far more energy if you try. Syn is extending the magnetic pylons now to contain such an increase.”

  Syn looks to Caleb and says, “Now it’s all up to you. You alone can increase this ships power by your own will.”

  Caleb looks at the ships power core and asks Paladin telepathically, “Pal what do I do? I have never done this before.”

  Paladin responds in kind, “Cale, you alone control every aspect of me, it is by your will alone that has always powered this vessel.”

  Caleb continues the conversation asking, “Will using so much energy accelerate my death?”

  Paladin replies, “Your life energy is different from the energy you create for this ship, although you can augment the ships energy with your life energy they are completely different.”

  Caleb looks at the power core as Syn moves the last magnetic pylon to the edge of the room as the center of the room a small energy field rotates as its energy is syphoned off into the ship. Caleb closes his eyes as he concentrates on the power core. For three long agonizing minutes, nothing happens as he grumbles in frustration clenching his fists.

  Syn approach
es him and stares him straight in his eyes and says, “You are going to do this or you are going to fail. Your daughter will die, your family will die and your friends will die. You are the only person that is preventing you from succeeding so you can do this or you can fail again just as you did when you allowed my Father to become Noskcaj.”

  Caleb scowls as returns Syn’s gaze. He turns his rage back towards the power core as it begins to expand quickly. Within a moment Caleb has expanded the power core to its maximum size. He turns back to Syn and grins for a moment, walking away.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  EYE OF THE STORM

  On board Ronin, the Super Carrier’s speed accelerates to near unimaginable speeds as it heads towards the other gateway several weeks away.

  For four days Carla has endured staying awake, hovering on the Bridge as she remains fully connected to Ronin, allowing her full power to be used by Ronin.

  Abe quietly approaches with Jesse and Marianne as Carla remains focused on Ronin.

  Abe silently sits on the deck of the Bridge just beneath Carla as Jesse and Marianne join him. He looks up to Carla and says, “Carla I think it’s time to take a break and spend a few hours with us, maybe get a few hours of rest too.”

  Carla snaps back to reality as she quickly sees her family sitting beneath her. She gasps as she speaks, “I’m so sorry, I was just ….” Carla drops her head as she lowers herself to the deck and disappears within it, reappearing next to her children and her husband. She hugs them all, holding back her emotion as best she can, stating, “It’s just I’m so close to seeing him again and I miss him. I’m so sorry.”

  Abe notices her frail frame and asks, “Would you like to go eat with us?”

  Carla smiles as Abe whispers in her ear, “You know your still partially human and you shouldn’t push your human half as much as you push your X’ena half.”

  Marianne yells, “I want ice cream!”

  Jesse yells back, “I want Pizza!”

  Abe picks up Jesse and says, “Pizza sounds good.”