Destiny Reckoning

by Trevor Gregg

  “Yeah, okay, I know,” he said, winking at her and smiling.

  She realized she was smiling, too. Grinning like an idiot, it felt like. She quickly regained her composure.

  “While you get the data core, hopalong, I’m going for a run. I haven’t gone all the way around the eastern garden yet. Maybe today I’ll make it.”

  Alis made her way out into the bright sunshine, blinking as her eyes adjusted. She stretched briefly before breaking into a brisk trot. It didn’t take long for her brisk trot to become a slow, steady slog. She pushed on through the fatigue, and soon found her second wind.

  Running. Breathing. The rhythm of the exercise lulled her mind into a meditative state. She reached the eastern garden and descended the stairs to the grass below. Breathing in deeply and reaching for her reserves, she committed herself to making it to the far reaches of the park. Pounding down the path, she entered the shade provided by the forest canopy above.

  Alis ran, her mind drifting, her vision becoming a tunnel, green on three sides, blue sky above. Her ears twitched and panned, and she realized she had just heard something. Slowing to a halt, she strained to hear.

  Yes, there was something. A faint rumbling in the distance? Was that the sound of falling water? She broke into a sprint, eagerly making her way toward the source of the noise, ears cocked.

  The path began to climb slightly. Near the crest, there was a game trail branching off into the forest. The sound of falling water was definitely coming from that direction. She pushed into the brush, following the narrow trail. Then she descended a short rocky slope and stepped out into a clearing surrounding a small waterfall.

  There it was! The waterfall. But this definitely wasn’t the backdrop in the videos on the data core. That had been what seemed to be a cave. So where was it? Was this the wrong place, she thought as she approached the small pool at the base of the waterfall.

  She glanced around, but saw no one, so she removed her shoes and sloshed out into the water. The pool was barely knee deep, but quite cold, although not completely frigid. She crept closer to the waterfall, reaching out and letting the water cascade around her arm. She reached further, and nothing. Further still, and nothing still. Her arm was in the waterfall nearly up to her shoulder, when she decided to duck through.

  Stumbling up a jumble of boulders, she entered a small cavern, hidden behind the waterfall. Here it was, the waterfall cavern. She had found it! Now they just needed to secure a recorder so they could make their vids.

  36

  Demonstration

  “I know they’ll return for you. I’m counting on it,” Joraq said, fixing Elarra with an unnerving stare and ending in a maniacal cackle.

  Elarra knew then that Joraq was playing them all. Her game was greater, more intricate than any she could dream up. Joraq had several millennia on her side. Elarra was most certainly intimidated. What would Joraq have seen? She could know anything about them, at any point in their journey.

  And Joraq most certainly knew what Kyren’s plan would be upon return. But what did Joraq want? Why not just take her own life if she were truly that exhausted of living? Why try to convince Elarra to do it?

  “Come, accompany me, I’ve preparations to make. You are here, so why don’t we become better acquainted?” Joraq seemed to suggest, but Elarra knew it wasn’t actually a suggestion, so she followed along dutifully.

  Joraq made her way to the great ship in the silo, entering an outbuilding nearby. They passed through winding corridors and down multiple stories. Joraq finally stopped at a large door and keyed the panel. It ground open, revealing a walkway leading to the ship’s airlock, which was open.

  Several nar’raxi stood within the ship, armed with clubs and crude machetes. Elarra followed Joraq across the walkway and entered the ancient ship. The walls were dull with age, the paint peeling and flaking. The metal bulkheads had begun to oxidize and decay.

  Joraq led her deep into the ship, which seemed to be full of nar'raxi. It seemed that perhaps many lived here? She couldn’t be sure, but it seemed so. It certainly smelled like it.

  They finally arrived at the ship’s bridge, deep within the vessel. It was a large space with many terminals and what should have been a massive viewscreen, but the holoscreen was inactive. In fact, the bridge was illuminated by lanterns, rather than the overhead lighting. The entire bridge was dark, save for one console. Its holoscreen was active, showing the night’s sky. Targeting reticles sat lazily in one corner of the screen.

  Joraq walked up to the screen and keyed in some commands. Some tones sounded and the reticles began to trace around the screen. Suddenly several dark shapes filled the screen. They were only visible due to the light being thrown off by their engines.

  The three shuttles burned hard for Joraq’s compound. Arkanon’s forces, it must be, she thought. Suddenly the reticles locked on to the shapes and she saw several bright points of light streaking for the shuttles, coming from the battleship.

  The projectiles impacted with the shuttles, erupting into brilliant light. When the burst cleared, the shuttles were falling to the jungle in many flaming pieces.

  Joraq cackled and cried “Yes! You see! They face death at every turn, your companions. You’ve not seen this, but I have. They die!”

  “I think you’re deceiving me, Joraq,” Elarra said calmly and evenly. “You can’t stop them when they return. I know you’ve seen it, but we liadi are not infallible. Even one as venerated as yourself.”

  “Flattery? I thought you better than such petty tactics, Elarra. Come now, embrace your power. What have you seen? You’ve seen the Kirugi, I know.”

  “Yes, I have, and I know it will wipe us from this galaxy if it is allowed to reproduce. It will only be a matter of time before its spawn inhabits every planet in the galaxy.”

  “What you don’t know is where they come from and why they come,” Joraq said elusively.

  “I don’t think, at this point, that is relevant. We must stop them here and now, or that point becomes moot,” Elarra replied.

  “There are far worse things, child, than the Kirugi. Far worse things are out there, inhabiting entire galaxies. But even that doesn’t matter,” Joraq cackled again.

  “So you’re saying the Kirugi isn’t a threat because there are worse things out there?”

  “Oh no, not that at all. I’m just insisting that you are but a child, young liadi. You understand your visions no more than a child understands reading and writing.”

  “Okay, so I’m ignorant. Then educate me.”

  She realized she was taunting Joraq, and wondered if that were a good idea.

  “No, there is no time, your fool companions will be returning soon, and then all will be in motion. Now that you have seen my preparations, it is time to retire. I grow weary, weary indeed,” Joraq began wheezing. “We shall speak again in the morning.”

  Joraq turned and began to hobble away. Elarra wasn’t sure what to do. Did she want her to follow?

  “Find a place to rest and make due. For the bill shall come due, indeed it shall come due,” Joraq said, cackling again.

  Elarra looked nervously at the nar'raxi scattered throughout the bridge, but none seemed to be paying her any mind. Tentatively she touched the control panel, but none of the nar'raxi reacted, so she attempted to decipher the controls. But, try as she might she could find no way to disable the defensive systems.

  If she didn’t get the defenses down, Kyren and the others were not going to survive the approach. That would have to be a problem for another day. Right now, she needed to find her way back to the surface. She knew it was going to take all night. Sighing, she left the bridge and entered the maze of corridors crisscrossing the massive ship, seeking a way out.

  37

  Weapons

  Kyren frantically searched his room. What could have happened to it? Did Leicara steal it? Where was that damn data core. They needed the core for the script of their messages, amongst other things. While he reme
mbered most of the messages, he didn’t remember the coordinates for Geri to pick them up or the giant robot. After more searching, he admitted to himself that the core was no longer in his possession.

  He considered the implications, if Leicara had indeed taken their data core. She would have access to all of the messages they left. She would know their plans.

  Striding into the vid-itorium, he spotted Benjam, lost in thought again, so he cleared his throat.

  Benjam looked over slowly, and upon seeing Kyren’s face, spoke with concern, “Kyren, what is wrong?”

  “The data core, it’s gone,” he answered. “I think Leicara’s taken it.”

  “Hmmm, well, that is one possible explanation,” Benjam responded after mulling over the news for several seconds.

  “What other explanation could there be?” Kyren asked.

  “Well, it could perhaps be an effect of the time travel. Maybe the data core was a paradox, and therefore wasn’t allowed to exist,” Benjam explained.

  “Either way, we don’t have access to the data and vids anymore,” Kyren groused.

  “So it seems we must do this on our own, then. Let’s review what we have when Alis returns, okay?” Benjam squeaked.

  “Sure. In the meantime, I’d like to work on something, I’ve got an idea,” Kyren said, a plan beginning to form in his head.

  He sat down at a terminal and began to work. The Azorian computer network was quite similar to ones he had operated in the past. The interface was very similar to bot-fighting controls. The construction of routines was modular. You could build functions that would perform autonomous routines, or you could take direct control.

  He wondered what sort of security measures the Azorian network would have, so he began to probe, looking for a way out of the box Leicara had put them in. Some time later, he started to believe it might be possible to hack their way out of the restrictions Leicara had placed on them. It might be possible to gain access to her full data network.

  Alis entered the vid-itorium, hair and clothes damp but ears pricked up, and said, “You guys’ll never guess what I found.”

  “What?” Benjam and Kyren both asked in unison.

  “Well, you know the waterfall room we’ve been looking for?”

  “You found it?!” Benjam squeaked in excitement.

  Kyren was relieved, this was finally a measure of progress, a measure of success. However, they were still missing the data core, and Kyren couldn’t shake the suspicion that it had something to do with Leicara, even if Benjam had posited an alternative explanation.

  “I’ve got some bad news, Alis, sorry to say,” Kyren began, groaning inwardly. “Seems the data core has disappeared.”

  “What?! Leicara?” Alis responded, incredulous.

  “I think so,” he began, but was interrupted by Benjam.

  “It is not necessarily the only explanation, Alis, as I informed Kyren. There is an alternate theory, and the more I’ve pondered it, the more plausible it seems. The data core simply could not travel with us. It could not exist in multiple timelines, and so it must have phased out as we traveled. I mean, you didn’t look for it until now, right?” Benjam explained.

  “Well, yeah, you’re right,” Kyren admitted.

  “And what would Leicara gain from the data core that we haven’t already revealed in our conversations here?” Benjam squeaked in low tones. “I mean, she could, with her advanced tech, be listening to us virtually anywhere.”

  “Shit, you’re right Benjam,” Kyren exclaimed, feeling stupid.

  Why hadn’t he come to that realization? He realized that even if she wasn’t listening, their accessing the networks she provided could easily be monitored too. Their research would build a pretty accurate picture of what they were up to.

  “Okay, so we can assume we have no secrets with Leicara. Why would we choose the waterfall cave to record our messages?” Alis wondered.

  “I’m not sure, but there has to be a reason,” Benjam offered. “If we can obtain some recording equipment, and a data core…”

  “The data core,” Kyren interjected. “It’s got to be exactly the same, right?”

  “I suppose,” Benjam agreed.

  They spent some time discussing the messages, trying to recall as many details as possible. Kyren was thankful for Benjam's whip-crack sharp memory. But what if they got something wrong? Would it affect their timeline? Would there be a paradox, and corresponding backlash? Benjam had warned that there could be unexpected consequences.

  Kyren went to sleep that night, troubled thoughts spinning around in his head. He awoke the next morning to the rap on his door. Opening groggily, he nodded to Heston, who stood waiting, Alis just off his shoulder. He donned his toga and proceeded to follow.

  “Early this morning, eh?” he asked Heston. “What’s Dralok got in store for us this time?”

  “As usual, I have no idea,” Heston began. “Master Dralok does not speak his mind to me. I am but a lowly Dras, he is Yal.”

  “That is crap,” Alis said under her breath.

  “Where? I don’t see crap,” Heston replied, perplexed.

  “No, I mean it’s lame that you’re essentially slaves,” she clarified, anger coloring her voice, ears going flat.

  “We are not slaves, we merely serve our place in society,” he replied awkwardly.

  “Okay, if you say so,” she responded in exasperation.

  “Alis… yeah it’s lame, but it’s not our place to take up a fight,” Kyren cautioned, resting his hand on her arm.

  “Shall we go?” Heston asked, behaving as if nothing had happened.

  They made the walk in silence. Heston led them into the arena, then bowed as he left them. Alis spotted Dralok approaching from the opposite side of the platform. Kyren noted her glare and placed his hand on her arm.

  “Not now, we’ve got to bide our time,” he cautioned.

  “Okay, fine,” she replied through gritted teeth, but her look didn’t soften.

  “Welcome, students,” Dralok called cheerily. “This morning, we train with weapons!”

  A plainly dressed Dras wheeled over a cart full of hand to hand weapons. Dralok picked up a staff and tossed it to Kyren. He caught it clumsily and held it before him. Dralok grabbed another one and threw it to Alis, who caught hers much more gracefully than Kyren had.

  “Strike me!” Dralok cried.

  Kyren hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to wield the staff. Alis, however, suffered no hesitation. She darted forward and swung the tip around at Dralok, aiming for his temple. For a moment, Kyren thought the blow would land, thought Dralok was going to let her connect.

  But somehow, at the last moment, he was just barely out of the way, the tip whizzing past his face. Kyren watched the look of surprise cross Alis’ face as she staggered past Dralok. He promptly swung his staff around and whacked Alis’ backside, sending her tumbling.

  “Hey! Ugly! Pick on someone your own size,” Kyren cried, charging.

  He swung his staff in a feint, then reversed the strike, bringing the other end down towards Dralok’s collarbone. Again, Dralok was just not there when his staff was. A vicious return strike with the tip of his staff impacted with Kyren’s solar plexus, knocking the wind from his lungs and dropping him to the floor.

  “Time to improve your reflexes. You are but as children to the true might of the Azorian warrior,” Dralok said haughtily.

  He motioned to the cart, revealing a pair of syringes.

  “What’re those?” Alis questioned, eying Kyren sidelong.

  “It is the next step of your training. The edge, the advantage you’ll need,” Dralok explained enigmatically, while handing a syringe to each of them. “Inject.”

  Kyren noted Alis’ hesitation, so he spoke, “But what is it? I’m not going to inject myself with something unknown.”

  “Nanites. They will help improve your speed and strength. They will make you more resilient to harm. Grant you faster reflexes. In short, as you saw,
you are no match for a true Azorian warrior,” Dralok said, sounding as if he were speaking to children.

  Kyren shrugged and stabbed himself in the leg, the mechanized syringe hissing as it delivered the contents into his body. He looked at Alis as a slow warmth spread across his body. He saw her about to inject herself and shook his head slightly. He didn’t want her to be affected, if it in fact turned out to be more than Dralok had explained.

  The warmth dissipated, and Kyren flexed his muscles. He felt no difference, but figured he’d need to try it out himself. Raising his staff, he nodded at Dralok and charged. This time, his strike nearly caught Dralok in the chest. He parried deftly, but Kyren knew he now had a chance.

  Turning to Alis, he nodded. She too injected herself, ears flat, a look of uncertainty on her face.

  “Let’s make this interesting, now,” Dralok barked.

  He turned a small ring on his staff, and the ends flared with a bright purple light. With speed and ferocity, his staff leapt out and struck Kyren in the chest. He felt his body spasm uncontrollably as he fell to floor. Twitching, he could find no way to control his body. It was like jump sickness, only without the mental fog.

  “What the hell did you do?” Alis cried as he watched her drop into a fighting stance.

  “Worry not, the Barish staff is set to merely stun,” Dralok explained as Kyren’s control of his body returned.

  He sat up in time to see Dralok turn the ring several more times. The purple light intensified as Dralok twirled the staff. Spinning, he struck the weapons cart with the end of the staff. A shower of sparks accompanied the strike, as a piece of the cart was sheared away.

  Damn, that’s a devastating weapon, he thought, realizing now that it could be set to lethal, as well as non-lethal damage.

  “Let us begin the next lesson,” Dralok said haughtily.

  Kyren groaned as Alis glared, ears back. This was going to be a long morning. Turned out it would be many long mornings.