Jess tried to focus, to prioritise their problems. The solutions all seemed to come back to one thing… wresting back control of the ship. Getting the ship moving, staying hidden from the Tainted, marshalling the ships defences… all would be compromised until the ship was free.
Just as important was freeing Ali from the Taint, if that was even possible. Jess remembered how she'd looked. Only now was he able to piece together the expression she’d worn while he was trapped by her eyes. It had been a feral expression, a hungry expression. The expression of an animal. What if she was gone forever? What if the Taint had not just overwhelmed Ali but destroyed all trace of her?
Darkness threatened to overwhelm Jess at the thought. He wanted to give up, but refused to. Instead he stoked up his anger at the Taint, at what it had done to Ali. He wouldn’t believe she couldn’t be saved. He couldn’t believe that! He would save Ali and the other three, even if he had to tear the universe apart he would find a way.
Control of the Wanderer was vital. The battle had to be fought within the Wanderer’s systems. The Wanderer’s mind wasn’t focused in a single place, it was spread throughout the ship’s structure. Even massive structural damage wouldn’t restrict its abilities, but that also meant it was impossible to purge the Taint from the Wanderer’s systems by selective destruction.
“Teeko, the Taint is attacking the Wanderer, trying to take over the ship. I need to help fight it off, but that means I won’t be aware of what’s going on here. If they find us they might attack and I won’t be able to fight back.”
“Not worry Jess friend. Teeko protect will. Teeko fight will. Teeko win will.”
There was an intensity to the alien’s words that Jess hadn’t heard before. Was it anger? Determination? He wasn’t sure.
“Teeko, I’m sorry about Ben. Are you all right?”
“Teeko fight will. Teeko win will.”
Jess waited but Teeko said nothing more. It stayed where it was, studying Jess but otherwise not moving. Jess couldn’t find the words to try again. He was certain Teeko was hurting and he wanted to help, but he had no idea how to bridge the gap. After a few seconds he gave up.
“OK. Let me get started.”
Jess closed his eyes and concentrated, throwing himself fully into the world of his implants. The world of the Wanderer. The world which was now a battlefield.
* * *
Colours swirled around Jess, forming ever changing patterns. They buffeted him. They tugged him first one way then another. Sounds crashed over him, squalls of piercing tones and deep rumbles which vibrated him to his core. He struggled against it all, trying to prevent the assault tearing him apart.
That was all he could do. He couldn’t fight back. He couldn’t get away. All he could do was hang on from moment to moment. He was already growing tired. He couldn’t do this much longer.
The pressure suddenly died off. A bubble of tranquillity surrounded Jess. The swirling storm continued unabated, but for the moment it couldn’t reach him. He sensed a familiar presence within the bubble. The Wanderer. It was shielding him, giving him the chance to find his feet.
Jess gratefully took it. He studied how the bubble was formed, sensing both the massive strength it represented and the way it was being constantly pushed close to breaking by the forces outside. Knowledge flowed into Jess from the ship.
He learnt the bubble was all that remained of the Wanderer, the parts that it had managed to keep safe. It was the Wanderer’s soul. To Jess it seemed worryingly small but the Wanderer insisted he shouldn’t worry. Yet..
The massive forces buffeting the Wanderer’s soul originated from Ali’s implants. They’d wormed their way into the Wanderer before turning aggressive. Now they were turning the ship’s own resources against it, using the captured sections of the ship to generate stronger and stronger attacks.
The Wanderer had fallen back as far as it could, reducing the area it had to protect greatly, but it wasn’t enough. The storm was gradually wearing away at its defences.
A particularly strong gust struck. One section of the bubble started to collapse inward. Jess could feel it was a weak point in the structure, that a failure at that point would cause a cascade of failures across the bubble and quickly lead to defeat. He threw himself at the damaged area, blocking the attack and reinforcing the bubble. Reaching out with arms and legs to anchor himself in place.
He knew he didn’t really use his arms and legs. Such concepts didn’t truly exist in this place. He felt and saw his body but that was just a convenient way to filter the raw information. The bubble around him and the storm winds outside were the same. They were the best way his mind could cope with the situation he found himself in, probably the only way.
Jess succeeded in reinforcing the breach. Something drew back into the storms beyond, something all razor-sharp teeth and armoured plates. He didn’t have time to dwell on his success. Other areas of the bubble were showing signs of strain, or even imminent collapse. He rushed to the one under heaviest assault, once again reinforcing and strengthening the bubbles edge.
When he moved on the bubble was not just repaired, it was far stronger than it had been originally. The Wanderer had been restricted when the bubble was first formed, fighting without its full strength. Fighting without its captain, though Jess was so much more than just its captain… he was an integral part of the Wanderer. Without him the ship had struggled to survive. With him it was able to reclaim lost ground.
Jess was aware that the Wanderer’s perception of the battle and its surroundings was very different to his own, but he couldn’t begin to comprehend that raw view. It was frighteningly alien, a world his brain just couldn’t interpret. The Wanderer reassured him that it didn’t matter. His way of viewing the battle worked, that was all that mattered.
The bubble was small. Soon Jess had reinforced every weak area. The Wanderer and he had fought the attack to a standstill. Now it was time to go on the attack. He struggled to envision the changes to be made, the work he would need to assist with. In the end he floated in the centre of the bubble, arms outstretched, imagining he was shoving hard against the edge of the bubble. The bubble was small but still far wider than his outstretched arms, yet he felt pressure against his hands. The image was a stretch for his mind, but it was working.
As the bubble expanded Jess was aware of systems falling back under the Wanderer’s control. Nothing major so far, but every step was a victory. He worried the systems might still contain the Taint, that they might be a trap, but the Wanderer assured him they were safe. The visual representation he saw was an imperfect representation of what had happened. Nothing containing the Taint could possibly cross into the bubble.
The pressure from outside increased significantly. The Taint was attacking several areas at once. Jess rushed to the closest, throwing his own energy into defending it. The creature he’d glimpsed before was back. It was even larger this time, its body sinuous, snakelike, with swirling and ever changing patterns of colour running across its armoured hide. The head had glowing red eyes and a mouth packed with row upon row of viciously sharp teeth. This time it didn’t back away when Jess approached. Instead, it attacked the barrier with renewed energy, trying to batter its way through.
Jess recoiled from the attack, heart pounding. Then he cursed. This wasn’t real. Fear only existed in his mind. The heart he felt pounding wasn’t his real one. His mind was accelerated, moving far too fast to register the glacial beats of his real heart.
He threw himself back into the fight, trying to reinforce the area under attack. The creature crashed into the barrier once more, roaring in anger. Jess fought the urge to flinch. He waited for his moment. As the creature pulled back, preparing for another attack, Jess lashed out. A bolt of lightning shot from his outstretched right hand, tearing deep into the creature. It howled in pain then rapidly pulled away, disappearing into the swirling chaos.
Even as Jess drove that creature away another punctured the barrier in a differ
ent spot. As the bubble gave way before it the creature let out a bellow of triumph. It had pierced the bubble. It had won.
Or so it thought. Before Jess started reinforcing the bubble the puncture would have meant it was all over. Jess had realised he couldn’t be everywhere. He couldn’t stop every threat. Knowing a breakthrough was inevitable he focused instead on limiting the effect. As he’d reinforced the barrier he had changed it, made it more resilient.
The small section under assault buckled and gave way. The creature shoved its way in, aiming to cause as much carnage as possible in the Wanderer’s soul. It found itself in a small pocket facing another barrier ahead which curved around to make the walls of the pocket.
The creature hissed in frustrated anger, twitching from side to side. It didn’t notice the pocket sealing behind, trapping it, until it was almost completed. Howling in outrage, the creature threw itself towards the newly reformed barrier, seeking to escape.
Lightning erupted from the sides of the pocket, tearing through the creature. It managed to hold its shape for a short while, screaming in agony as it battered against the barrier, but its strength quickly faded. With a final howl of anger it was torn apart by the crackling lightning, leaving nothing behind to mark its passing. The trap had claimed its first victim.
Jess smiled grimly, even as he fought off another of the creatures by throwing lightning from his outstretched hand. He felt amazing, godlike. He strode across his domain, changing it to suit his whims and lashing out at those who dared to stand against him. The power was intoxicating.
Two more sections of the barrier collapsed under enemy assault. Two more creatures were trapped and then destroyed by the power Jess had left waiting for them. He channelled even more power through himself, using it to blast apart another of the creatures as it battered the outside of the barrier.
The dead attackers were replaced almost immediately. Jess suspected they would keep being replaced right up until the moment the battle was over. That didn’t matter. As each was destroyed the Wanderer managed to reclaim a little more lost ground. They weren’t retreating now. It was their turn to attack.
* * *
Jess lost all sense of time. He was focused intently on the battle, on reclaiming the Wanderer’s systems piece by piece. His only measure of progress was the area now covered by the Wanderer and how many enemies he had destroyed, a number well into the thousands.
He had to regain control of the ship as quickly as possible. All means of movement, the thrusters and the jump engines, were still controlled by the Taint. Jess and the Wanderer had gained one major victory, they now controlled most of the shields. A few remained isolated from them but they controlled more than enough to protect the ship.
Jess was certain the rest of the ship’s systems would follow. Progress had been stalled many times as the enemy creatures tried different approaches, but none of those attacks had stolen back ground.
He and the Wanderer studied the new attacks and adapted their response. The enemy’s attacks were strong but it wasn’t at home in the environment they fought over. Using Ali’s implants and knowledge gave it access to the battlefield but left it at a huge disadvantage compared to Jess. His implants were far more closely integrated into the ship and his understanding of the world they fought over was much stronger.
A warning flashed up in Jess’s vision, drawing his attention to a specific section of the barrier. Six of the monstrous creatures were focused on one point, coordinating their attacks. The barrier at that point soon failed. Two of the creatures moved into the pocket that was exposed and attacked the inner barrier. The other four waited outside. As the destroyed section of barrier began to reform, aiming to trap the two monsters, it came under attack from the remaining four. The attack prevented it from forming again. With the barrier incomplete, the trap didn’t trigger. No lightning flowed and the creatures continued digging away at the inner barrier.
Jess rushed to meet the attack. As soon as he was in range he unleashed lightning. He’d been learning as he fought. The lightning was now far stronger. Three of the creatures were destroyed immediately. The other three turned tail and fled. Jess flung more lightning after them, destroying two and seriously wounding the third.
Something moved in the chaos. As it slowly drew closer Jess saw it was a bubble, a barrier, like the one he occupied. The one which held the Wanderer’s essence.
With no points of reference it was hard to tell how large the bubble was. Only the way it eased in and out of the surrounding chaos gave any clue, and even that was unreliable. It seemed small, though, possibly as small as the Wanderer’s bubble had been when Jess first arrived.
The bubble moved closer. Jess realised he’d gotten the size completely wrong. It was tiny. He could make out a shape within it, a human shape, curled up because the barrier wasn’t large enough to allow for any other position.
The bubble twisted, bringing its occupants face into view. Jess stared in shock. Ali! It was Ali! Somehow she had crossed into this world. Her essence still remained, crushed into a tiny space but not destroyed. Not yet. The strain and tiredness on her face told him she wouldn’t last much longer.
Swirling currents in the chaos tugged Ali’s bubble first one way then another. Another gust dragged her away from Jess. Her bubble started to disappear into the mists.
“No!” Jess shouted.
Terrified of losing her he launched himself through the barrier, out into the swirling chaos. He chased after Ali’s bubble, fighting the chaotic buffeting and lashing out with lightning whenever one of the enemy creatures drew too close. Behind him the enemy creatures closed in on the Wanderer’s bubble once more.
Chapter 42
“Admiral, we have cleared the Quarantine Zone.”
Vorn acknowledged the fact with a quick nod. He kept the relief he felt hidden, but it was there. The massive battle between the Imperial forces and those trying to get past had driven home to him just how dangerous the Taint was. From the moment they got clear of the fight he’d expected to be dragged out of jump space by a tar pit, to come face to face with an overwhelmingly powerful Tainted fleet.
That hadn’t happened. His fleet was clear of the narrow confines where a trap could easily be set. The area they had emerged into could hardly be called safe, but it was still a great improvement over the Quarantine Zone.
Now they could focus on following the Wanderer once more. It was still ahead of them, still leading them deeper into Tainted territory, but that didn’t matter. Sooner or later the Wanderer would return to real space. When that happened Vorn would strike. This time there would be no escape.
* * *
The bubble containing Ali seemed to slip through the chaotic storm of colours, while Jess found he had to batter his way through. He had instinctively formed a small barrier around himself, more a close-fitting suit than the sphere that surrounded Ali. Several creatures darted in close, seeking to attack. He lashed out with lightning, tearing them all apart. He saw more creatures but they pulled back as he approached.
Jess lost sight of Ali’s bubble. With an anguished yell he threw himself forward even faster, smashing his way through the chaotic colours. He glimpsed her bubble again, off to the right now, before it disappeared once more. He changed direction, desperately trying to catch sight of it again.
There it was… a brief flicker and it was gone. Jess kept battering his way forwards. He saw Ali again. This time he felt sure he was closer. Her bubble continued to be pushed along at the edges of his vision. Then the currents changed, pushing her bubble towards him. Ali seemed to rush closer. Moments later he made contact with the bubble surrounding her.
Ali’s eyes were closed and she seemed unaware Jess had been following. He took a few moments to study her bubble, then integrated it into his own. He quickly expanded the protection, leaving plenty of space for both Ali and himself.
With a piercing scream Ali’s eyes flew open. Her chest was heaving. She looked terrified. Jess grabbed
her, pulling her close.
“Ali! Ali! It’s OK. It’s me. You’re safe. I promise.”
“Jess… is that really you? How? I thought I was going to die! I’ve been stuck wherever this is for so long, fighting to stay alive the whole time. I got more and more tired. I knew I couldn’t hold out much longer. When the pressure left, when I was no longer being crushed, I was sure it was all over.”
“Sorry. I didn’t think. I just wanted to make sure you were safe.”
“Am I?” She sounded uncertain. “Am I really safe?”
“Yes! This place is dangerous but I have far more power here than the Taint does. You’re safe while I’m with you.”
“The Taint? Is that what’s all around us? Is that what attacked me?”
“Yes. What happened to you?”
“I don’t really remember much. Sal was there. I remember that. Then… something happened. I don’t know what. The next thing I remember clearly is floating in this place. It was peaceful for a while. There was just a restful blue colour which hardly moved.
“Then it changed. More colours started to twist and curl through the blue. The colours became more solid and started pressing in on me. I managed to form a shield to keep them at bay but it was hard work. Creatures started to attack me. Between the colours and the creatures I was slowly worn down until I could hardly fight any more. Then you appeared.”
She paused, staring deeply into Jess’s eyes, then grabbed him in a tight embrace again.
“It is you. How did you know I needed you? How did you get here? Where is here?”
“This is the Wanderer. The systems of the Wanderer, at least. It doesn’t really look this way, this is a simplification our brains can cope with.”
“So… we aren’t real?”
Jess heard fear in her voice.
Wanderer's Odyssey - Books 1 to 3: The Epic Space Opera Series Begins Page 81
