Galactic Satori Chronicles: Kron

by Nick Braker

  Joannah grunted, losing her footing. She fell, causing Ruth to stumble. Joannah nearly knocked Ruth down as the two struggled against the gale force atmosphere of an alien planet. Ruth had to brace Joannah as she got her feet back under her. They proceeded forward again and were able to reach the wheel. It offered them a short reprieve. They put their backs to it and inched closer to the hatch.

  “Giselle,” Ruth said. “Magnus needs to get inside now. He can’t hold his breath forever. Move!”

  Magnus and Giselle could not see them but he could hear them now. It had to be the prison. It blocked or suppressed their transmissions. Now that they were clear of the prison, their EP devices were broadcasting. He couldn’t say anything. He had to save what air he had and he didn’t dare take a breath of Kron’s deadly atmosphere... not unless he absolutely had to.

  “The wind’s strong but we’re working it,” Giselle said. “He’s got me. If not for him, I’d be dead.”

  They were now both leaning into the wind so hard Magnus’ left arm could touch the ground. He used it to steady them, sometimes grabbing hold of large, buried rocks along the way to the cruiser. He continued to keep his right arm wrapped tightly around Giselle. Magnus needed to breathe. His eyes burned and his lungs screamed for air. Did it really matter that he not take a breath? He was already exposed. He could feel it. The deadly bacteria had already entered his body through the cuts Carena had created earlier. It felt like the worst flu he’d ever had. It came upon him quickly along with every symptom, in full force. The bacteria were eating away at him. His arms and legs felt like lead as the bacteria leached his strength. His eyes were wet with tears but the wind whisked them away, streaking his face with the dark gray ash. He pushed forward, harder. He had to get Giselle to safety. She didn’t have the strength to fight these winds. If he failed, she would die, too.

  “Magnus, they are to the right,” Giselle said.

  He shifted their path, letting her guide him. How did she know where they were? The wind buffeted them both threatening to rip them from the ground and into the sky. It must have pushed them farther than he thought. The cruiser was still nowhere in sight. Where the hell were they? He needed to breathe. He couldn’t hold out any longer. His lungs burned with fire. He had to get some air.

  “The EPs indicate they are about fifty feet ahead.”

  He found another handhold from a large rock, most of it buried under the ground. His arms and legs shook with the effort to hold them both in place. He had to take a breath but it would mean his death and then Giselle’s.

  “Hold on, Magnus,” Ruth said through his EP. “We’re coming into view.”

  He managed to look up as the cruiser came at them, its lights breaking the blackness created by the ash and wind. It rumbled forward so fast, it appeared the cruiser would run them over. He braced himself, shaking with the effort. The wind grew stronger as the hatch came into sight. Giselle pushed him, holding on to the hatch for dear life.

  “Magnus, go,” she yelled.

  A hand reached down from above him, grabbing his hair and pulling him up. He didn’t resist. He was too tired, he went with it.

  “Hold your breath another second,” Ruth ordered.

  She put a mask over his face. A light on the mask burned red. It turned green as the seal took hold.

  “Breathe!” she yelled.

  Magnus’ eyes rolled back into his head as his lungs rapidly inhaled and exhaled desperate to replenish the missing oxygen in his body. His body shook and Ruth had to restrain him. It felt like he had almost drowned.

  Carena sat in the forward seat of the cruiser. Its interior lighting made the cabin marginally visible. There were two other seats in the vehicle, side by side, behind Carena’s. Magnus sat in the left one with Ruth in his lap holding an oxygen mask to his face. Giselle sat on the right with Joannah in her lap.

  “My god,” Ruth said. “His face is in shreds with tiny cuts and abrasions. His eyes are bloodshot and he’s as pale as a ghost.”

  They still had their environmental suits on. He noticed Carena looking down.

  “Is there anything you can do?” Ruth said to Carena. Her tone was harsh and demanding. “Anything?”

  Carena turned her head to consider Ruth’s eyes. Carena shook her head slightly.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “The insidious nature of the-”

  “Damn it, there has got to be something,” she screamed at Carena.

  Ruth’s emotional state bothered the alien woman. Magnus could see it in her eyes. Carena didn’t want to give them the bad news but she knew she had to.

  “Mercifully,” Carena said. “His heart will stop and his suffering will end quickly.”

  Ruth spun to face Magnus again.

  “Magnus, you’re gonna make it, damn it,” Ruth said, tears welling up in her eyes. “You big dumb idiot. You hear me?”

  His eyes felt like someone had put a hot poker into them. His heart raced as the temperature in the cabin dropped. The land cruiser was frigid. Where was the heat? Shaking, he wrapped his arms around himself trying to get warm. His skin felt hot and he ached all over. For a moment, he thought he was back on Earth lying in the dirt, dying with nearly every bone in his body broken. This felt worse. He was dying. The bacteria were spreading, eating him up as it multiplied.

  “Is there a blanket in here?” Ruth demanded.

  “Ruth, he might live another minute but that’s all,” Carena said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

  Ruth’s eyes were wide as she grabbed the sides of his head. Magnus could sense the fear in her heart. She wasn’t giving up on him. She should give up, there was no point.

  “Listen to me,” Ruth said. “You’re not going anywhere. It’s not over.”

  Magnus chuckled inside, this time Ruth was wrong. It was over. His heart skipped a beat, fluttered and then continued beating normally. He didn’t have much time. The crushing pressure on his chest felt like an elephant stampede had run him over. He thought of Jules. Why hadn’t he told her? Why hadn’t he talked with her? Magnus touched Ruth’s helmet, locking eyes with her.

  “I...,” he said. Magnus’ eyes went wide. He wanted to say more, but his heart skipped several beats, fluttered and stopped.

  Chapter 14

  BACTERIA

  Kron - Prison complex just outside Citron

  Tuesday, October 27, 1987 - 05:35pm

  Magnus

  Magnus’ left arm smacked the dome’s glass interior while his other arm clutched his chest.

  “Magnus!” Ruth shouted.

  Stars danced in his vision. His eyes and mouth opened wide trying to resist the weight on his chest. His heart had stopped and, if he wanted to live longer, he had to stay awake. Magnus slammed the base of his fist into his chest with all his strength. His heart fluttered and started again. He labored to breathe as his throat constricted tighter. Magnus’ ribs heaved air in and out, leaving him weakened. He could not catch his breath. He felt on the verge of panicking.

  “Heart-”

  “My god, how the hell does he do that?” Giselle asked, as she covered her mouth.

  “Joannah, hold the mask over his face,” Ruth ordered, glaring at Giselle.

  Joannah grabbed the mask, keeping it in place. Ruth turned on Carena, spinning her around by the collar.

  “Is there anything you can do?” Ruth asked, yanking her closer.

  “I can extend his life for a few minutes by preventing his heart from stopping. It will still end the same and he will be in horrible agony and die anyway. The Cortians-”

  “Do it,” Ruth demanded, raising her voice even louder. “Now.”

  Magnus’ heart stopped again for several seconds and his mouth jerked open as he struggled to draw air. His heart resumed its erratic beat. The heavy pressure, centered on the left side of his chest, terrified him. He was losing this battle.

  “Whatever... she’s going... to do,” Magnus managed. “Do it now.”

  Carena place
d her palm on a panel near her chair. It slid open revealing a box about six inches long. She pulled a syringe from the box and entered a code into the panel’s instrumentation. She connected the syringe to an injector tip on the panel and the tip filled the syringe with a light blue liquid. Carena pushed herself past Ruth, standing next to Magnus. She positioned the needle over his heart and plunged it into his chest cavity. It pierced straight into his heart. Ruth and Joannah held him down as he instinctively grabbed for the syringe to pull it out. Magnus screamed.

  “My god, he’s strong,” Giselle managed, keeping one of his arms pinned.

  Magnus screamed again as Carena pulled the needle out.

  “This will give him a few more minutes of life. You must understand there is nothing else I can do. We’ve researched this—”

  “Shut up,” Ruth said, “he’s not dying here.”

  Magnus’ heart raced. Whatever Carena injected into him worked. The drug acted like adrenaline. His heart pounded in his chest, reassuring him his life continued. For how much longer?

  “I will get us back to Citron,” Carena said, returning to her seat. “The computer will guide us there and, using these poles to help light the way, we’ll not get lost. It will take 52 seconds. Hold tight.”

  Ruth straddled Magnus as Giselle returned to sit on Joannah’s lap. The vehicle lurched forward, pushing them into their seats. Ruth held on, keeping herself firmly planted in Magnus’ lap. The acceleration had almost tossed her into the transparent dome behind him.

  “Magnus,” Ruth said. “How are you doing?”

  “I feel like shit,” he managed, speaking into the oxygen mask she kept on him. He put his arms around her. “Even worse than the day I destroyed the portal. I’ll make it though.”

  “There’s no time for that macho bravado bullshit,” Ruth said. She kept the mask on his face. “Carena, how much longer?”

  Magnus let his arms fall, resting them at his side. He didn’t have the strength to hold Ruth.

  “Six seconds,” Carena said.

  “There,” Giselle said, pointing.

  Magnus managed to shift over enough to see where she was pointing. Ruth turned with him, craning her neck around. He had seconds to learn as much as he could about the Kron city of Citron before they arrived. Ahead of them, lights began to break through Kron’s black atmosphere. Buildings and structures rose and then disappeared out of sight in the sky above, hundreds of them. Pure white light lined the corners of each building, outlining the alien architecture with an ethereal quality. They, too, extended into the darkness above, eventually obscured by the rain of black ash. The buildings varied in size and shape but none were boxy, like skyscrapers from Earth. Most of the structures had a hexagonal shape with a wide base that rose like pyramids in steep angles. The buildings may have been different colors in the past, but now they ranged from shades of gray to deep black. Only the artificial lighting gave them any depth, marking them like giant monuments standing next to each other. Lighted tubes connected the buildings both at ground level and at higher points along their sides. Magnus could see movement through the tubes; humanoid figures, some seated in transparent cars that zipped through the tubes while others walked between buildings in different tubes.

  “I will dock the cruiser in the hangar ahead,” Carena said. “The automated systems will allow us access to the hangar and then we’ll have to go through Citron’s outer security protection system—”

  “Security protection system?” Ruth asked. “Is this—”

  “It’s just a name from long ago. There is no security on the planet,” Carena said. “Well, very little. Nothing ever gets past our space armada nor our planetary defense shield. You are our first visitors in over a thousand years. We’ll be detected only if someone sees Magnus or if they examine the three of you closely. I’ll get us some proper clothing so you three can move through the city without suspicion. Magnus must remain concealed somehow... if he lives.”

  “Listen up,” Magnus managed, grabbing Ruth’s wrist and pulling the oxygen mask off his face. Ruth tried to restrain him, but he swatted her hand aside. His hoarse voice made it difficult to speak. “If I make it, great.” He paused, catching his breath. “If not, you will go on without me. That is an order.” He had to pause again. “I can tell you right now, I won’t be able to keep up. The most important objective is to find a way to return to Earth. The teleportation device that brought us here could—” He grabbed his chest, feeling the bacteria beginning to win the war against Carena’s injection. He put his hand on Ruth’s shoulder, shaking his head against her interference. “Just listen. The device brought us here. They are repairing it or have already repaired it. Find it and get yourselves back to Earth. If not, steal a ship and head home that way. No discussion. No questioning my orders. Move.”

  Carena opened the hatch on the floor of the cruiser and dropped down through it.

  “Keep your helmets on until we clear the decontamination room.” Carena said. “Follow my lead.”

  Kron’s lighter gravity helped them lower Magnus through the hatch and into the interior docking bay. The bay occupied a small section of a much larger hangar. The black ash that covered the planet of Kron only littered the floor here in a few places and in spots along the walls. Carena led them forward to stand in front of a wall lined with human-sized alcoves.

  Magnus couldn’t continue and he knew Ruth had already come to the same conclusion. The rest of her team and Carena hadn’t realized it yet. Ruth would have to lead them from here. She had to try and save them. He held his curled hand up to his eyes, signaling them to scout and secure the immediate area. Carena watched him intently, confused.

  “Carena,” Magnus said. “Help me stay standing while they do their jobs.” A spasm of coughing took hold. He doubled over, retching spittle and blood. It left him breathless and weak. His legs shook visibly now. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. He wiped the sweat from his face, getting most of the blood, too.

  Carena’s helmet visor did little to hide her concern. She genuinely worried for him.

  Magnus tapped his ear, cutting his connection to Ruth and team.

  “Carena, kill your mic with the others,” he said.

  Carena nodded.

  “What happens next?” Magnus asked.

  “Jets within the alcoves will pour a cleansing agent on us that will rinse off most of the bacteria covering our suits.”

  “Toxic?” he asked.

  “Externally? No.”

  “And then?”

  “The alcove will rotate letting us into the next cleansing section which will burn away any remaining bacteria with radiation,” Carena said.

  Radiation? Didn’t Alexandria say he returned from Paris with severe radiation burns? Holy hell. He might have a chance. If the radiation didn’t kill him outright, it would kill the bacteria and then his body could purge the radiation and heal the burns.

  “Will the radiation penetrate flesh?” he asked.

  “Yes, so we must keep our suits on, but you...” She let her comment trail off, knowing what her words would mean.

  Carena was wrong. She didn’t know about his ability and he planned to keep it that way. If the radiation killed him, keeping his secret would be easy but, if he somehow managed to heal afterward, he’d have to come up with a lie.

  “Turn your mic on,” he said, double tapping his EP.

  “Form up,” he ordered. “Carena, help me to an alcove.”

  Carena paused, shaking her head. “Didn’t you hear—”

  “I’m dead anyway, right?” he said.

  Ruth returned. “This place is empty. No one else is in this entire hangar. It doesn’t feel right.”

  Magnus locked eyes with her. Ruth’s instincts were always spot on but giving himself a chance to live preempted her gut feeling. His life didn’t matter compared to theirs, but they had no choice other than to enter Citron regardless of her intuition. Ruth had to get them home safely while he stayed behind
to destroy a race of monsters. He paused on the word. Carena had showed him they all weren’t monsters. What if he killed innocents to get at those few that were responsible?

  “Magnus?” Ruth asked.

  His epiphany had given him pause and she questioned why he stood there, unmoving.

  “Get me to one of the alcoves,” Magnus said, ignoring her question. “I don’t have much time.”

  Ruth nodded. She and Carena put Magnus’ arms over each of their shoulders and helped him into the closest alcove. He expected hard metal, but instead, a soft padded material lined the interior.

  “You have a plan?” Ruth whispered, “or are you just giving us hope for as long as you can? You know I’ll get them home, but I’d rather have you with us than dead on some alien planet.”

  “I’ve always liked that about you,” he said, his voice still hoarse. “All business when you need to be. I have a plan and, yes, I know you will.” Magnus managed a weak grin. “I didn’t come this far to die from a damn infection.”

  Magnus felt tears on his cheeks. Why was he crying? He wiped them away only to see his blood on his hand. It dripped from his eyes and nose. Ruth’s eyes filled with tears. He must look horrific. He didn’t want her to see him like this.

  “I’ll see you on the other side. Go,” he croaked.

  She nodded at him unable to kiss him goodbye or to take the time to hug him.

  “Giselle. Joannah. Step into an alcove and try to relax.” Carena said. “The cleansing and decontamination is automated. On the other side, we can remove our suits and helmets, but only after I give the signal.”

  Ruth and Carena stood in front of him as the alcove closed. Ruth mouthed the words ‘I love you’ and then turned and entered another of the alcoves. His EP picked up a solo broadcast from Ruth. He didn’t have the strength to lift his arm to manually answer it.

  “Accept call,” he managed to say.