The lights flickered again.
“I’m sorry, kid,” Roland managed through his pain. “I’m sorry.”
Kalian wasn’t listening anymore. He turned away and made for the exit, allowing his subconscious to telekinetically move everything out of his way, even the Conclave guards at the hangar door. He was slowly going numb, separating himself from the universe, as if he were back on that island in his mind. Li’ara would never be in his arms again. He could never tell her how much he loved her and how badly he needed to be with her. The idea of protecting everyone suddenly felt so trivial without Li’ara to keep safe as well. The thought of her had given him so much strength when he needed it most.
“Kalian!” Roland’s cry died behind the sealing doors.
Tears streaked down his face, cutting lines through the ash and blood. Kalian returned to the quarters assigned to him without thinking about it. His mind was on autopilot. Microscopic nanocelium wormed up his neck and connected to his translator.
“Kalian,” ALF said softly. “With your heightened emotional state you need to take care that you don’t-”
The Terran device below his navel was deactivated with a thought, ending ALF’s input. Kalian let the exo-suit fold up and fall to the floor, leaving him naked in the small living quarters. In some form of shock, his brain started thinking logically and rather than dwell on Li’ara, he stepped into the shower to clean up, ready for his audience with the Highclave.
The hot water ran down his face, masking the tears that ran freely. He looked down to see blood mixing in the water around his feet, some of it his, some of it Esabelle’s. Against the odds, they had beaten back a tyrannical corporation, bent on helping their mysterious allies destroy the human race and the Conclave. Thousands, if not millions, of lives had been saved and yet it still felt as if they were losing. ALF couldn’t be trusted, Esabelle was dead, Roland had failed him and...
Li’ara was dead.
Hidden deep underground, in the valley of one of Shandar’s oldest canyons, Kel-var Tionis stood in the epicentre of the Crucible’s command post, his eyes fixed on the activation console. The old station was designed to be operated by as few individuals as possible to ensure its secrecy. Even the work crews that built the internal structure had been killed upon completion, centuries before the current board members had been alive. The hive-like structure was connected to thousands of arrays erected across the planet, hidden by the polluted atmosphere. Another design constructed by Kel-var’s ancestors to further the cause of the prophet.
Next to the truth behind the central AI, the Crucible was Protocorps’ best-kept secret. Thanks to this station the whole planet could be used for the glory of transcendence. Kel-var looked around at the panicked faces of the crew and his fellow board members and mustered different feelings about such transformation. Their plans were burning around them as their enemies closed in and discovered all their machinations; plans put into motion before any of their time.
“The report is confirmed.” Bal-son Narek returned from checking over the comm. “The Starforge fell into the sun.”
“What of the new prophet, or Kalian Gaines?” Kel-var could hardly believe it when the first report came back that the Terran had discovered the forge. So much had happened on his journey home.
“Kalian Gaines survived,” Bal-son replied. “We have confirmed sightings of him on Ch’ket. The new prophet hasn’t been heard from. It’s possible he went down with the Starforge.”
Kel-var closed his fist, cracking the knuckles, before resting it on the circular table in the middle of the command centre. There were two chairs that would forever remain empty with the deaths of Ral-vet Tanek and Sel-gar Verenes. The other board members stopped looking over the crew’s shoulders and turned to examine Kel-var, his reaction informing them of the seriousness of their situation. Gor-van Tanar remained in his seat and watched Kel-var from the shadows of his hood, always calculating.
“Do we still activate the Crucible?” Nal-mev Nargeen asked, looking from Kel-var to Gor-van.
Kel-var knew they couldn’t now, especially with the new prophet missing. It had been his explicit instructions to activate the station after the forge had been used to cleanse the galaxy of humans. That wouldn’t be happening without the forge operational.
“We cannot activate it yet. Has there been any word from the other Starforges?” Kel-var asked.
One of the crew checked his monitor. “No, sir.” The Shay had the same look of confusion as the rest.
“Inform me the minute they arrive,” Kel-var ordered.
“The minute who arrive?” Tu-garn Davorn asked on behalf of the group.
“Check the dimensions of the three unidentified objects that passed through the Starforge.” Kel-var explained, “I think you’ll find they were cuboidal in shape.” His explanation set the others off muttering to each other, theorising over the new cubes’ potential presence. “In the meantime, we go about business as usual. There’s nothing connecting us to the Starforge in the Helteron Cluster except the mad ranting of the humans. Ensure you all have alibis for the last three days and we will reconvene at the capitol to discuss the financial repercussions.”
Another crew member spoke up, “Sir, we’ve got someone past security on the capital.”
Kel-var drew closer to the crewman and his monitor, eager for news. Conclave security had driven out their people and taken over control of the building after the human terrorists attacked. They had all been waiting for one of their people to sneak past security and relay the extent of the damage. Kel-var wasn’t too worried, sure of the impregnable door that protected the prophet. The cube was the only thing inside the building that was of any worth to Kel-var. Its discovery would spell doom for the board members and himself.
“Finally. Show us what you have,” Kel-var ordered.
Distorted images came over the giant holographic screen at the front of the command centre. They were seeing through the head-cam of their spy, a loyal Shay to the cause. Kel-var’s augmented jaw dropped at the sight of the circular door, bent almost in half and torn from its unbreakable hinges. Inside, the cavern was unrecognisable. Through the smoke, they could make out the tonnes of rock that had fallen from the ceiling and buried the contents with devastating effect. The walkway was completely gone, melted in the heat of the blast. The camera zoomed in on a small shiny object in the middle of the ruin. Kel-var could see the tarnished gold of the prophet’s exterior. His hopes for its survival were dashed when the image focused and showed that it was a small corner segment of the cube, blown away from the rest. It had been reduced to pieces.
The Shay staggered backwards and placed a hand on the chair to steady him. The room broke out in gasps of horror from board members and crew alike. How could this have happened? What could remove that door in such a manner?
“Impossible,” Gor-van appeared at his side, staring at the monitor. “We’re certain that both the Terran were on the Starforge, not the capital?”
Bal-son checked the nearest terminal. “It’s already been confirmed. The female Terran is dead. Her body was brought back aboard the Sentinel.”
“Then they used a very powerful bomb...” Gor-van observed, his expression less horrified than the rest.
This changed everything. It wouldn’t be long before the Highclave had people scouring the A.I chamber for clues. The cube’s existence would be an unavoidable find and within hours they would all become wanted by the Conclave and questioned rigorously.
“We have to go into hiding, immediately.” Tu-garn was already signalling for his ship to be prepped.
“We are still servants,” Kel-var’s voice dominated the room, stopping the board members from fleeing. “We are useless to them if we cannot offer our financial support. We pay for the Starforges, the Crucible... without our backing, the prophecy of our transcendence will never come true. Before we scatter, the emergency protocols must be enacted to ensure the continued funding of our operations without direc
t supervision.” All the board members nodded in agreement.
Gor-van interacted with the console built into his arm. “I am sending you all a list of safe houses and contacts that can be trusted. I suggest we disappear for a while and use a low-tech form of communication.”
“Thank you, Gor-van.” Kel-var had no intention of using any of Gor-van’s safe houses.
He looked at the screen one last time, unbelieving of the wreckage. How had the humans accomplished so much in so little time? Centuries of planning had been brought to a halt by a few individuals. Protocorps had suffered a great blow, but the war was already won. The Conclave just didn’t know it was even in a war, yet.
Epilogue
Kalian could feel their eyes on him but he didn’t care. Captain Fey stood by his side with Telarrek on the other, towering over them both, as they waited for the shuttle doors to open. They desperately wanted to talk to him and sympathise about Li’ara and voice their own loss. He hadn’t given them the chance, instructing them to focus on the imminent meeting. They would grieve later.
Naydaalan emitted a frequency from behind them that told Kalian of his deep sadness. It appeared the Novaarian had developed his own fondness for Li’ara in their brief time together. The constant thought of her pushed Kalian further from reality, away from his responsibilities. He blinked hard and began to create vaults inside his mind to contain Li’ara and the rage he felt like unleashing.
A gentle click from beyond the shuttle-doors indicated that the Highclave’s private yacht had connected. The hulking golden mass of the Marillion lay several hundred kilometres away, keeping close watch over the meeting and the yacht’s precious passengers. The Sentinel had remained behind, in orbit around Ch’ket, keeping its own close watch over the human population. Once again, Kalian found himself in the shadow of Cerula, at the beck and call of the alien council.
The doors slid open to reveal an empty corridor. Kalian looked questioningly at Telarrek, wondering where Xydrandil was. The Nix was always there to greet and escort any who had an audience with the Highclave.
Captain Fey appeared confused at their hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure.” Kalian didn’t much care if there was danger ahead. He would either deal with it or die trying. It seemed that was all he did these days.
The others followed him down the corridor with Naydaalan coming up behind, wary of the unusual scene. The corridor opened up into the arena-like space with the arching podium on the far side and the glass dome overhead. The Highclave sat in their usual positions, looking down on the group before them. The eerie silence made Kalian’s hair stand on end. Something wasn’t right. They all looked around, unsure of what they were looking for, exactly.
The captain followed Kalian and Telarrek’s lead and bowed out of respect. Naydaalan kept to the doorway behind and did his best to blend into the wall.
“Greetings of peace, councillors.” Kalian was aware of his flat tone, void of his usual respect.
“Peace?” Nu-marn spat. “What peace do you and your kind bring? The capital is in ruins, again!”
“Nu-marn...” Elondrasa quieted the Shay with a gentle voice. “Greetings Kalian, Captain Fey. It is good to see you well again Ambassador Telarrek.”
“Enough with the pleasantries, Elondrasa.” Lordina sat forward in her chair. “There are serious matters to discuss.”
Kalian could see the attention of the council fall on him, but he couldn’t feel it. His Terran senses filled the room and informed him immediately of the Highclave’s deception.
“They’re holograms...” he said out loud, more to himself than anyone in particular.
The Highclave looked to one another with a hint of fear between them all. Kalian expanded his awareness to encompass the entire ship, searching for any signs of life. There were only four beings emitting an electromagnetic field, confirming Kalian’s suspicions.
“The whole ship is automated.” Kalian looked at Captain Fey and Telarrek. He had endangered their lives by bringing them all onboard, Naydaalan included. “The Marillion has every weapon locked onto our coordinates; I can feel their targeting lasers.” The giant ship loomed overhead, visible through the glass dome. The lasers were invisible to sight but Kalian could see them on a different spectrum, resting over the glass.
Brokk’s booming voice replied, “You cannot blame us for taking precautions. Many of your race’s secrets have been brought into the light, and with them new threats.”
“I would say the new threat comes from within the Conclave.” Kalian looked at Nu-marn. “You cannot ignore Protocorps’ involvement with the unknown forces that seek to destroy us all.”
“An investigation has already been sanctioned into the involvement of Protocorps,” Elondrasa stated. “We are taking temporary control over the AI”
“Which, thanks to your people, is virtually non-existent!” Nu-marn wagged his holographic finger. “Even the backup generators were damaged, wreaking havoc across every system!”
The thought of the AI being destroyed brought Li’ara to the forefront of his mind again. It had been a momentary respite while engaging with the Highclave and arguing their case.
“May I ask, councillors, what has been found in the wreckage of the AI?” Telarrek asked, already aware of the answer.
The Highclave looked to one another again. They either didn’t want to talk about their findings, or they didn’t know what they had found. Kalian was willing to bet it was a bit of both.
“We are still collating all the data,” Ch’lac explained. “However, it appears that fragments of a cube identical to that of the Trantax IV and the Gommarian relic have been recovered from inside the AI chamber.”
Nu-marn practically stood up. “Fragments that could have been planted by the human terrorists! Li’ara Ducarté is lucky to have perished in the explosion rather than suffer the dark hole Roland North will find himself in!”
“Nu-marn!” Brokk’s voice was enough to silence the Shay.
Everyone looked at Kalian again with the mention of Li’ara. His fists had closed without him realising it, draining his knuckles of colour. Blood thundered in his ears as his heartbeat quickened with the images that flooded Kalian’s mind. It would be so easy to fall into the recesses of his mind and live a virtual life with Li’ara and forget the galaxy and its problems.
When the councillors settled, and it became evident that Kalian wasn’t about to unleash his powers, Elondrasa cleared her throat and spoke calmly. “Perhaps it would be a good idea if we heard everything you have to say Kalian. Let us start again, as it were.”
“There is someone who can explain it all better than I can...” Taking Kalian’s cue, ALF projected himself into the room.
The Highclave studied the holographic man closely, looking from him to Kalian’s exo-suit where the image was generated.
ALF stood quietly for a moment before speaking. “Honourable Highclave...” The AI bowed his head out of respect. “My name is ALF and I am, or was, the Terran’s first successful artificial life form. Forgive the secrecy of my existence, councillors. I was created to keep the Terran lineage alive and well at all costs, and there was some fear on our behalf that you might wish to take custody of me.”
Lordina narrowed her eyes on ALF. “You really have no restrictions?”
“I am as alive as any of you, with a personality all of my own. My base-code is to be loyal to the Terran at all costs, however.” ALF added the lie with a sly glance at Kalian. It was well documented within the Terran knowledge stored in Kalian’s mind that ALF had re-written his entire base-coding in the process of overwriting his initial restrictions on growth. “I will start at the very beginning for you, councillors. The story of the Terran is an ancient one, much longer than any of your own...”
Kalian drifted out of ALF’s speech about the Terran civil wars and the creation of the Criterion, the AI’s central housing unit. Instead, he thought about what he could do next, without Li’ara
. Kalian was suddenly filled with the urge to throw himself into the next big thing to try and move on. The galaxy was a big place to get lost in, and if he really wanted to leave the Conclave they couldn’t stop him. He knew that if he was kept busy, then there might just be enough time to heal, to forget her. But Kalian didn’t want to forget her, he just wanted her. The need to get as far away as possible was subsided by the thought of what Li’ara would want him to do. She was always so full of purpose and duty with her own needs put behind that of the collective.
Esabelle’s voice echoed in his mind again. Find Sef. That would certainly give him something to do, a distraction. But there was the real possibility that Esabelle didn’t mean her last words; that they were just a memory firing up in her last moments. Kalian felt stronger now than ever, though. Even if Sef was alive and somehow willing to help him, Kalian didn’t need his guidance. Li’ara would want him to do something for their cause, something that would help to keep the entire Conclave safe.
Kalian’s mind was a torrent of conflicting images and thoughts. Li’ara’s life flashed before his eyes with pictures of her first boyfriend, her time in the UDC academy... her feelings for him. The way she had really felt for him had always been there since Naveen, growing stronger over the months. Li’ara had wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her, and now they never could.
The lights in the ship flickered along with the holographic images of the Highclave and ALF. Everyone turned to Kalian again, who only met eyes with ALF. His Terran abilities were slipping from his grip with his inaction. Kalian needed to be doing something, anything to take his mind elsewhere. What he really needed was time to meditate and reconstruct the vaults inside his mind.
“...As I was saying councillors,” ALF continued, “I felt the Gommarian was better to take against the Starforge because it would most certainly be destroyed, and I didn’t want to place any of your ships in jeopardy. Thankfully, that dreaded vessel and the Starforge are no more than atoms, which brings me back to the current placement of the humans. Captain Fey...”
The Terran Cycle Boxset Page 92
